The third grade has started a new unit on electricity! Our first task was, using the same materials, get a light bulb to light. The kids were not instructed, but instead asked to try, explore, and see if they could get the bulb to light on their own. Many attempts were made, and soon the kids started to notice how important it was to have a connection made from the battery to the bulb. It needed to be a closed circuit to work. There were squeals of joy when the bulb lit!
After our bulbs were lit, and we understood what a circuit looks like, we began talking about voltage. Voltage is the electric force that causes the free electrons to move from one atom to another. Just like water needs pressure to force it through a hose, electrical current needs some force to make it flow. The kids knew that the power came from the battery. They had to predict which battery would have the most voltage (AAA, AA, C, Or D) we were able to use a multimeter to measure the volts. The children noticed no matter eh size, they all had about the same voltage! Each battery had 1.5 volts! We also had the chance to talk about 9volts!
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