Activity (Hands-On)Grades 3 - 5
Lights On Demo & Build! Intro to Simple Circuits
Christmas lights.Copyright 2004 Duke University
Students are introduced to circuits through a teacher demonstration using a set of Christmas lights. Then student groups build simple circuits using batteries, wires and light bulbs. They examine how electricity is conducted through a light bulb using a battery as a power source. Students also observe the differences between series and parallel circuits by building each type.
This introduction to circuits also serves as an introduction to electrical engineering since every electrical device has a circuits designed by electrical engineers.
After this activity, students should be able to distinguish the difference between a parallel circuit and a series circuit.