Fourth graders in Sarah Jackson’s science class experimented with different aspects of electricity this week with interactive stations designed to demonstrate circuitry, static electricity and conductivity. 

 

Using materials like batteries, copper wire and small light bulbs, students built three types of circuits — simple, series and parallel — to determine which one allows the most electricity to power the bulb, resulting in the brightest light. 

 

“The biggest challenge for students was figuring out how to set up the parallel circuit,” Mrs. Jackson shares. “We had previously explored these materials, but setting up a parallel circuit is not as intuitive as the other two.”

 

Students tested various fabrics like faux fur, silk and felt against two types of rods, rubber and acrylic, to determine what combination created the most static electricity. Students were very excited to test out all of the different combinations. After creating the static electricity, they would test their rods to see if they could move tissue paper, a hanging wooden ball, or a slow stream of water. “I was surprised that I could actually move water because of the friction,” shares Quinn Goldberg (4).

 

With the plasma globe plugged in nearby, students answered the question, “What materials conduct electricity?” They first examined the objects on hand such as plastic forks, popsicle sticks, paper clips, and rubber bands to make predictions about whether the items are conductors or insulators. Then, placing each item on the plasma globe, they tested their hypotheses. A conductor creates a larger beam of light within the globe and an insulator does not. 

 

“I learned that the metal conducts electricity but plastic and rubber don’t,” shares Hadlee Wolf (4). “Also I found out that our hands conduct electricity!” 

 

A fourth station encouraged children to read through age-appropriate science magazines to learn more about electricity, writing new-to-you findings in their notebooks. 

 

This lesson on electricity is part of a unit on energy. Fourth graders learned how to classify different types of energy we encounter in our everyday lives and investigated how energy can be transferred from one form into another. Moving forward, students will research different sources of energy and construct arguments for what energy source is the most sustainable. Go learn!