II. What Is Electricity? What Can Electricity Do?

• Students recorded their observations of all things that use electricity. Students maintained a journal to record all observations, reflections, and writing pieces. In addition, students kept all of their lab sheets and other handouts in pocket folders. Initial writing activity was to describe all the things (i.e. household appliances) in their homes that use electricity, and what would a day be like without using any of these things, or without electricity.

• Class developed a "KWL" (know/what/learned) chart, listing what they know about electricity and magnetism and what they wanted to find out about it. At the conclusion of the unit, the chart was completed with what they learned about these topics.

• Constructing simple electrical circuits using light bulbs, batteries (D-cell batteries), and wire (electricity kits): "Make the light bulb light"

           * Students also observed that electricity produces heat and light.

Sample Activity

• Constructing simple circuits using 2 light bulbs:  students began using symbols to represent the different parts of an electric circuit.  They also investigated any changes in brightness of the bulbs with different circuits (using two batteries or two bulbs).

Sample Activity

• Experimenting with conductors and insulators:

Sample Activity

• Experimenting with switches in the electrical circuits

• Exploring series and parallel circuits:  students built and diagrammed series and parallel circuits, learning to identify the difference between the circuits.  The following sites are excellent for background information, directions, and details: Electric Circuits and The Keystone Science Network.

• Students experimented with static electricity by rubbing balloons on wool cloth and their hair.

• They constructed paper "bugs" (small pieces of colored paper in shallow boxes with plastic lids).  By rubbing the lid with a cloth, a static charge is created and the "bugs danced" as they moved their fingers across the lid.

• Another static electricity experiment involved using a charged balloon and holding it next to a thin stream of dripping water. 

*The water will bend toward the balloon. The electric field around the balloon pulls things toward it.

III. What Are Electromagnets?

• Students made electromagnets using a 9-volt battery and wire wrapped around a nail.
   

• They also attached a switch to their electromagnets, and compared and contrasted temporary magnets and permanent magnets.

    

• They experimented with the strength of the magnet by winding more wire around the nail or by using a different type of battery.

• Using thermometers, students observed and recorded the temperatures of the simple electrical circuits (bulb and batteries) and the electromagnets. 

• Students experimented with a compass and observed and recorded that wires carrying electricity have a magnetic field.   See The Franklin Institute website's page on Faraday. 

IV.  Benjamin Franklin

• Students researched and wrote reports about Ben Franklin and the colonial period. Information was accessed from the classroom library (many nonfiction books and encyclopedias) and the Internet. The Franklin Institute's website on Ben Franklin is a great site.

• They located and researched historical places in Philadelphia and nearby areas, such as the Ben Franklin Parkway, Ben Franklin Bridge, Franklin Mint, and The Franklin Institute.

• They constructed "T" charts comparing the lives of children in the colonial period and present.

• They constructed timelines of important events and inventions in the life of Ben Franklin.

V.  Writing Assessments and Creative Activities

• Narrative writing activity about their trip to The Franklin Institute with illustrations: "Our Trip to The Franklin Institute Science Museum"

• Culminating writing activity: What do you remember most from our study about magnets and electricity?  What was your favorite activity? Why? What do you remember about Benjamin Franklin? What would you tell a friend about magnetism and electricity? Explain how you can make an electromagnet.

• Students drew illustrations of Franklin's inventions and scenes depicting important events, either of Franklin's life or the colonial period. These scenes included descriptions and labels.

• A fun activity was designing and completing crossword and word search puzzles.

Illustration of one of the exhibits in the Electricity Hall at The Franklin Institute

Go back to the Harcourt Teacher Leadership Center main page.

 

Generous founding support for the Harcourt Teacher Leadership Center and the Harcourt Learning Labs was provided by the Harcourt General Charitable Foundation on behalf of Harcourt, Inc.