Lesson Plan
Lesson 2: Wired Up! – Building Electrical Circuits
A 60 minute lesson in which students will read and draw circuit diagrams.
Preparation
Should circuit building kits be unavailable, locate an appropriate online circuit building simulator to use in the lesson.Equipment
- Circuit building kits
Lesson Plan
This lesson contains a link to an external video. Please watch the video prior to presenting this lesson to ensure that the content is appropriate for your students.
Tuning In
- Watch The Power of Circuits video on YouTube. Afterwards, revise the key concepts of the video and allow the students to ask clarifying questions if needed.
- Introduce the statement to be investigated in the lesson: Circuits need to be complete (closed) to allow the flow of electricity.
Teacher Instruction
- Display and discuss slides 8-9 the It’s Electric! PowerPoint. On slide 9, point out the components in the top diagram. Highlight how each component is represented on the corresponding circuit diagram.
- Display the Circuit Diagram Symbols Poster and examine each symbol. Model how to draw a circuit diagram using a selection of the components. Discuss whether electricity would flow through the circuit. Repeat this activity several times, giving some examples of circuit diagrams where electricity would not flow.
Guided/Independent Learning
- Distribute the Circuit Diagrams Worksheet to the students. Read through the questions on the worksheet as a class and check that the students understand the task.
- Monitor and support the students as they complete the activities. Optional: To answer Question 3, students could predict a result on the worksheet, then use circuit construction kits or an online circuit simulator to perform the test.
- Once the students have finished, encourage the students to share their answers. Draw particular attention to Question 3, discussing the reasons why the bulb would or would not illuminate.
- Collect the students’ worksheets. These could be included in a portfolio of work samples and used to assess the students’ understanding of the unit objectives.
Wrapping Up
- Revist the Electricity Word Wall. Add the words ‘circuit’ and ‘component’ to the display.
Differentiation
Extending Students
- Allow fast finishers to further explore the circuit building kits or the online circuit simulator.
Supporting Students
- Encourage less confident students to use the circuit building kits or the online circuit simulator to assist with the activity.
Assessment Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
- used strategic whole class or individual questioning
- observed student participation during learning activities
- recorded student progress on a checklist
- annotated student work samples
- collected and reviewed student work samples
- facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
- encouraged student self-reflection
- administered formal assessment tasks.
Resources
NSW Curriculum alignment
- ST3-8PW-ST
Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another
- ST3-8PW-ST
Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another
Victorian Curriculum alignment
- VCSSU081
Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity; electric circuits enable this energy to be transferred to another place and then to be transformed into another form of energy
- VCSSU081
Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity; electric circuits enable this energy to be transferred to another place and then to be transformed into another form of energy
Australian Curriculum alignment
- ACSSU097
Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources
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