Grade 4 had an awesome time exploring how electricity works by building their own circuits. Students were encouraged to explore the materials and develop their own “challenge” questions, e.g. How can I make the bulb light up? How can I make it brighter?, etc. They then analyzed what worked and what didn’t work and proposed solutions to design problems they encountered.
Student particularly enjoyed the challenge of trying to get the fan to spin and the music to play. In order to play music, a parallel circuit was required which took many groups several tries before they managed to get it right. We then discussed what could be learned about electricity distribution on a larger scale based on what we learned from simple circuits.
Some of the best quotes from the day:
“I am so excited, I am shaking” -Joao Paulo
“This is exactly what I want to do! I want to be an engineer!” -Lilli
“This is the most fun I have ever had in my whole life!” -Joao Gabriel
Overall, it was a great learning experience! To view photos from the whole exploration click here.