Electronic Literacy Pre K - 12

Science Information on the Web - Lesson Plan

Title:  Electricity and Safety

Grade Level(s):  Fourth Grade

Subject Area(s):  Science / Technology

Unit(s):  Study of Electricity

Description:  This lesson will use internet web sites to reinforce learning about electricity, and will introduce safety issues and concepts on circuits.

Outcomes/Core Learning Goals:   (As per MCPS Curriculum Outcomes)

Electric Circuits:   Children will investigate electricity and circuits. They will explore parts of a light bulb, conductors, insulators, single circuit diagrams, switches, and diodes. The unit culminates with students constructing and wiring a cardboard house of their own design.

Safety:   Students will explain safety rules ragarding the use of electricity in their everyday lives.

Media:   Students will become more familiar with the World Wide Web as a tool for research.

Time Frame:  Three 60 minute sessions in the Media Center, Classroom, or Lab. Extensions can be done in the classroom.

Materials/Technology:  Computers with internet access with the following sites previously bookmarked:

The Story of Electricity  (Boston Edison Kids Space - The Story of Electricity)

Brainpop: Electricity  (Basic concepts of electricity and the parts of an electrical circuit)

CLECO Just for Kids - Electricity  (Contains five areas of information: Making electricity, Shocking History, the Safety Zone, Smart Science - Experiments, and Power Fun - Trivia)

Rus - the Surfin' Squirrel  (USDA Rural Utilities Service presents Rus- the Surfin' Squirrel who educates children on electrical safety tips)

The Atoms Family - Electrical Safety  (Primary site for the lesson on electrical safety)

Electricity and Magnetism - What a circuit is  (Site explains the construction of a circuit)

Teacher Preparation:  The teacher should preview these web sites before introducing them to the class. Sites should be bookmarked on the computers before beginning the lessons.

Student Prior Knowledge and Skills:  Students should already have been trained on mouse skills, and should know how to locate a bookmark. They may know how to navigate between screens on the internet. Students should already have received instruction on the basic concepts of electricity.

Lesson Design/Learning Sequence:

Session 1:

1. Using the web sites, The Story of Electricity, and Brainpop: Electricity, reinforce the basic concepts of electricity and learn more about the electrical circuit and how it works.

2. Continue to reinforce these concepts while beginning to think about safety by having students review the information on the web site, CLECO Just for Kids - Electricity.

Session 2:

1. Using the web site, Rus - the Surfin' Squirrel, teach students about the USDA safety tips on electricity. (20 minutes)

2. Introduce the site, The Atoms Family - Electrical Safety to the class and explain the Electrical Safety Lesson.

3. Allow students the remaining time to begin working on the assignment.

Session 3:

1. Students should work in pairs to complete the written questionaire using the web site, The Atoms Family - Electrical Safety.

2. Students should decide upon the message they will promote in their safety poster. Classroom time can be allowed for students to create their posters or this can be assigned as homework.

3. Students who complete the written questionaire should review the web site, Electricity and Magnetism - What a circuit is, in order to prepare for building their wired cardboard house in class.

Assessment/Evaluation:

1. Students successfully navigate through the web sites.

2. Students can explain how electricity works.

3. Students display in a Poster an electrical safety rule.

4. Students demonstrate their understanding of electrical circuits by successfully constructing and wiring a cardboard house of their own design.

Additional Activities:

1. Perform experiments explained in the web sites under adult supervision.

2. Visit an electrical power plant and share the experience with classmates.

3. Write articles summarizing what has been learned.

4. Create pictures or diagrams of circuits using such tools as Kid Pix or Hyperstudio. Create a class slide show.

5. Encourage further reading about unanswered questions.

Additional Resources:

Electric Club Activities Handbook  (Descriptions of experiments and activities relating to electricity)

How to Play It Safe  (Site for children explaining the dangers of Power Lines and Transformers)

Science Made Simple - Static Electricity  (Information and experiments on Static Electricity)

Theater of Electricity   (Boston Museum of Science - Van de Graaff Generator)

Developed by:  Susan Osmun

Date:  July 1999