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DISCUSS (1 of 2):
Imagine power is out for a day. How would that affect your life? (For example: What things stop working? What things do you lose the ability to do?)
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DISCUSS (2 of 2):
Now imagine power is out for a week (or even a year). What are some ways this might affect your life?
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DISCUSS:
Besides making things move, what else can electrical energy do? (Think about examples from the story.)
Hint...
Here’s what we came up with: A) It can be used to make things like traffic lights and lamps light up. B) It can be used to heat things like toasters and heaters. C) It can be used to cool things like air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers.
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Your light up card works as a flashlight — it’ll let you see in the dark. But you probably want more than that in a flashlight.
Change your flashlight to make it easy to turn on and off. Watch this video for ideas if you get stuck.
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Grade 4
Energy, Energy Transfer, & Electricity
Electrical Energy
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-3
In this lesson, students are introduced to electricity as a form of energy. In the activity, Build a Flashlight, students investigate how electrical energy requires a circuit and make their own mini flashlights from LEDs, button batteries, and strips of aluminum foil. Along the way, they’ll learn about the anatomy of a battery, begin to see how circuits work, and discover how handy an on-off switch can be.
Preview activity| Flashlight Maker worksheet | 30 copies |
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Scissors
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30 pairs |
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Aluminum Foil
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10 feet |
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File Folder Labels (Stickers)
Masking tape will also work. We prefer stickers for ease of distribution in a classroom.
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Details
120 labels
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Index Cards (3x5)
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30 cards |
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Batteries (3V 2032 button)
Each student needs one battery. We suggest purchasing a few more in case some don't work.
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Details
30 batteries
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LEDs
Each student needs at least one LED, but it's ideal to have more for additional experimentation. We recommend getting an assortment of colored LEDs.
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Details
90 LEDs
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Teacher Note: If you purchase the batteries in advance, please read this document for how to safely store them.
We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.
For each student, tear off a strip of aluminum foil that’s about 4 inches wide and as long as the roll (usually about 12 inches).
Grade 4
Energy, Energy Transfer, & Electricity
Electrical Energy
4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-3
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