Teaching Energy and Electricity in a 6th grade classroom

Jessica Minton

Grandview Heights Middle School

July 18, 2013

Knoxville, Tennessee

Program Focus

To incorporate the embedded engineering standards into the Life Science and Physical Science portions of the 6th grade curriculum.

Students need to understand what engineering is and how it relates to their lives, to bridge the gap between math and science, and to help them strengthen their critical thinking skills.

A big problem I find is that the information is taught separate and connections are not always made to promote the big picture.

The end result from my time at CURENT is to create lessons that focus on the physical science standards over renewable and nonrenewable energies, electricity production and transmission (through simple circuits and larger circuit demonstrations), and incorporation of grid (smart grid) in small scale models (ideas from MITES camp) tying back in the life science standards of matter/energy transfer and interdependence of organisms with their environment (biotic and abiotic/synthetic).

TN State StandardsEngineering standards:GLE 0607.T/E.1Explore how technology responds to social, political, and economic needs. GLE 0607.T/E.2Know that the engineering design process involves an ongoing series of events that incorporate design constraints, model building, testing, evaluating, modifying, and retesting. GLE 0607.T/E.3Compare the intended benefits with the unintended consequences of a new technology. GLE 0607.T/E.4Describe and explain adaptive and assistive bioengineered products.  Life Science Standards:GLE 0607.2.2 Describe how matter and energy are transferred through an ecosystem. GLE 0607.2.3Draw conclusions from data about interactions between the biotic and abiotic elements of a particular environment. GLE 0607.2.4Analyze the environments and the interdependence among organisms found in the world’s major biomes. Phsyical Science Standards:GLE 0607.10.1Compare and contrast the three forms of potential energy. GLE 0607.10.2Analyze various types of energy transformations. GLE 0607.10.3Explain the principles underlying the Law of Conservation of Energy. GLE 0607.12.1Describe how simple circuits are associated with the transfer of electrical energy. GLE 0607.12.2Explain how simple electrical circuits can be used to determine which materials conduct electricity.

Overall Curriculum Plan

Energy

Energy (Cont.)

Switching Gears into Electricity

Electricity in the ClassroomA working knowledge of basic information about electricity is an important part of the middle school curriculum. Students need to develop an understanding of simple circuits and the relationship between them and electrical energy transfer.

There are several kits and products that can be bought and used to teach circuits, but choosing the right components to use in the classroom can be a challenge. Students need the opportunity to have hands-on activities and projects to help them learn.

After looking at several options, the bulletproof box was chosen to re-create because it is easy to use, creative in construction, and able to be viewed by the students without the manipulation and destruction that could occur.

Building the Box

The components used consist of:

• 8 resistors ranging from 10 ohms to 33000 ohms

• Capacitor• Diode rectifier• 2 LED housings with red

lights• Mini screw base light• Motor• Push button switch• Toggle switch dpdt• Potentiometer• Relay• Solar Cells• Buzzer

Building the Box

Classroom Usage• Electricity Production• Electrical Safety• Circuits

• Simple • Series• Parallel

• Voltage• Solar Cell• 5 Vdc Wall Power Supply

• Resistance• Resistors• Potentiometer• Circuits-Series & Parallel

• Other Electronics • Relay-Electromagnetic• OR and AND Gates• Capacitor

• Ohm’s Law & Amperage

Simple Circuit• All activities with the box will use

alligator clips• Bolt to bolt

• Stress electricity safety

Push Button Circuit• Alligator clips from bolt to bolt• Close the circuit to work• Morse code type circuit

Potentiometer• Alligator clips bolt to bolt• An adjustable resistor• Variable speeds for motors,

dimmer switches in lights, volume control in audio electronics

References & AcknowledgementsRoberts, L. “The Bulletproof Electronic Box.” techdirections, April, pp. 12-13, 2005.Roberts, L. Welcome to Electronics for Middle School Students. 2000. Rheinhart &Winston Holt. TN Grade 6 Holt Science & Technology. 2010.

Thanks to Dr. Chien-fei Chen and CURENT for the opportunity to participate in the RET program during the 2013 summer.Thanks to Erin Wills for information and supplies to put together activities and projects to incorporate into lesson plans.Thanks to Adam Hardebeck for lending supplies and printing materials when needed.Thanks to Bob Martin for helping in the construction of the bulletproof boxes.Thanks to Mr. Foy for the soldering lesson and to the other RET’s for their encouragement and humor when trying to assembly the boxes.