Simple Circuits Curriculum

image of bulbs in sand

This lesson invites students to experiment with different battery and bulb configurations to discover that linear arrangements do not work to light the bulb. Students are encouraged to find different ways to light the bulb using just a wire and a battery. There are versions of this lesson in most hands-on materials for elementary students.

 

Section 1: Understanding Goals

Subject Matter

  • It is possible to light a bulb with just a wire and a battery.
  • Four configurations with one wire and a battery work to light the bulb.
  • We all have implicit models for what we think is going on when the bulb lights.

Causality

  • A Simple Linear Model does not explain how a simple circuit works.
  • It is important for us to unpack our own causal models for what makes the bulb light and to revise them as suggested by the evidence.