Let There Be Light!

This week we have been learning about electricity. On Monday, the students were given a battery, 2 wires, and a light bulb and instructed to make the light bulb shine. They explored with various connections until they were successful. I think their eyes were shining brighter than the bulb when their circuits were complete!  

We then identified and discussed each material used in the investigation. The battery is an electric cell because it supplies the energy. The metal in the wire is a conductor because it allows the current to flow and the plastic covering the wire is an insulator since it does not allow the flow of electric currents. Finally, the students discovered that they created a circuit, which is a path for an electric current.

On Tuesday, the students expanded their knowledge of circuits by testing various materials.

These materials were classified as either conductors or insulators. Each pair of students was given a bag that contained a metal spoon, a plastic spoon, a paper clip, a popsicle stick, a metal washer, and a straw. Each item was placed between the wire and light bulb to see if the bulb would glow. If the bulb did not glow, the item was an insulator. If the bulb did glow, the material was classified as a conductor.