Did you ever have the opportunity to play with electricity as a child? My class offers a safe way to experiment with electricity and how it all comes together to provide the modern-day conveniences we all have.
My school is a small Pre-K through 8th grade school in a rural area.
Since the students attend our school for up to 10 years, we have a family-type atmosphere. The majority of our students are white, with Hispanic students running a close second. Our school enrollment is 53% free/reduced lunch.
My Project
In my class, students are given wires, sockets, bulbs, batteries, and hinge switches to experiment with building different types of circuits. This is an extension of my curriculum addressing energy and electricity. So often, kids (and adults too) take for granted the simple conveniences around them, such as electricity. I direct my students' attention at the "whys" of those simple, everyday items that we often overlook.
I have supplies for these activities already, however, some of my materials have been used for many, many years and need to be replaced. Light bulbs have burned out, wire has run out, and bells have broken from overuse. I have experimented with "The World's Simplest Motor" and believe that it is a wonderful way to teach the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
I once heard, "learning science from a textbook is like taking a vacation by reading a travel brochure." If science is not experienced, it is really not learned at all.
I try to implement hands-on learning as much as possible in my classroom so that I know my students just don't have knowledge but experience as well.
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