Embedded Files
Purpose
Purpose
Participants practice decomposing problems by identifying the individual components that complete a simple circuit. They also practice abstraction by extracting the different parts of a circuit when creating simple, series, and parallel circuits.
Materials
Materials
For each participant:
🙿 9 volt battery
🙿 3 volt battery
🙿 3 three alligator clips
🙿 300-330 ohm resistor
🙿 6 LEDs
General:
🙿 Multimeter
🙿 Whiteboard or chart paper
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Circuit
Battery
Current
Voltage
Resistor
LED
Conductive material
Series Circuit
Parallel Circuit
What are Paper CIrcuits
What are Paper CIrcuits
In this lesson we will be using simple, parallel, and series circuits. Simple, parallel, and series circuits are the main types used in the unit to create a paper circuit.
A paper circuit is low-voltage electronic circuit that is created on paper or cardboard. Conductive copper tape, LED's, and coin cell batteries are essential components of creating a paper circuit. We can use paper circuitry to create a variety of expressive electronics, such as LED masks, paper lanterns, and many other crafts.
Phase 1: Identity Activity (The Masks We Wear)
Phase 1: Identity Activity (The Masks We Wear)
1. Introduce the concept of a "mask"
People often wear different "masks" or behave and present themselves differently based on the particular norms of the social situation they are in. For example, I may wear a different "mask" when I'm around my friends versus when I'm around my parents. Masks allow us to navigate the world and give us opportunities to decide how we want to present ourselves. However, we do not always have control of how others see us.
2. Facilitate large group discussion
Think about how you act at home vs. how you act at school vs. when hanging out with their friends. What types of "masks" do you wear in these different situations?
How do these "masks" change based on the situation or context you are in?
Are there times when people view you in a certain way that is different from how you view or choose to present yourself?
~~alternative to group discussion: give participants 5 or so minutes to do a free write in response to these questions.
3. Distribute the mask templates handout and have participants decorate two masks based on how they present themselves and one mask on how they think others view them.
4. Facilitate large group discussion
Which mask do you feel most comfortable in?
Which mask would you like to get rid of? Why?
Do you think masks are necessary? Are they bad, good, or neither?
Why do people wear masks?
What would the world be like if no one wore masks?
Why do you think people assign us "masks" that do not match how we view ourselves?
Phase 2: Simple Circuit Refresher
Phase 2: Simple Circuit Refresher
1. Review definition of a conductive material.
A conductive material is any material that allows electricity to flow from one point of the circuit to another point. Common conductive materials are wires and copper tape.
2. Explain that they will be using copper tape and give them time to examine tape and the simple circuit template.
3. Ask them to compare the simple circuit template to what they learned about circuits in the circuitry basics lesson. Note any similarities.
Resources:
Phase 3: Create A Simple Circuit
Phase 3: Create A Simple Circuit
1. Model how to identify positive lead on LED
2. If the copper tape does not have conductive adhesive, model how to fold corners to ensure the conductive material stays in contact for a complete circuit.
3. Explain that LED bulb needs to have the positive lead aligned with the positive terminal of the battery and the negative lead aligned with the negative terminal of the battery.
4. Support participants in completing the simple circuit template
Leave a gap for the LED
Ensure that the copper tape runs over the negative and positive symbols on the template
Add the battery and fold the corner to complete circuit and illuminate the LED
Resources:
How to tell which LED lead is positive
How to mark positive lead of LED
You can fold the positive lead into a spiral
You can mark the positive lead with a sharpie
Video: How to fold corners of non-conductive adhesive copper tape
Phase 4: Explain A Series Circuit
Phase 4: Explain A Series Circuit
Series circuits provide one path for the current to flow like a simple circuit but a key difference is that you can add multiple LEDs in a chain.
1. Have participants complete the series circuit template
Leave a gap for each of the LEDs
Ensure that the copper tape runs over the negative and positive symbols on the template
2. Have participants try to light up the LEDs in series using the 3V coin battery.
3. The LEDs should either not light up or light up very dimly. Ask participants to hypothesize why this is happening.
(Answer more LEDs require more energy)
Phase 5: Create A Series Circuit
Phase 5: Create A Series Circuit
1. Swap out the coin cell battery for a 9v battery. You may have to add copper tape to each end so that it can reach each battery terminal but make sure that the ends of the copper tape DO NOT TOUCH or overlap.
(LEDs will light up)
2. Ask participants to hypothesize why a 9V battery worked better.
3. Explain that as a general rule, in a series circuit, when you are trying to figure out how much voltage is required to light the LEDs, you need to add the forward voltage of each LED. In this example, we need a 9V battery because we have 3 LEDs that each require 3V (3V+3V+3V=9V).
However, remember that different LEDs have different forward voltages. Refer back to the LED cheat sheet in lesson 0.
LED Voltages.pdfPhase 6: Explain a Parallel Circuit
Phase 6: Explain a Parallel Circuit
1. Explain a parallel circuit
A parallel circuit is also has multiple LEDs but instead of only have one path like a series circuit, a parallel circuit has two or more paths for current to flow through.
2. Draw a series and parallel circuit on the board.
3. Ask participants to discuss the similarities and differences between series and parallel circuits.
Even though a parallel circuit takes a different path, it still has the components that are common to all circuits: a power source, conductive material, and an LED.
4. Explain that parallel circuits are useful because if one LED is broken, it will only create a gap that impacts that particular path. The LEDs in the other paths will still work because those paths will remain closed.
Phase 7: Create A Parallel Circuit
Phase 7: Create A Parallel Circuit
1. Complete a parallel circuit using the template provided, a 3v battery, and 3 green LEDs.
2. Ask participants why they think the 3v worked on 3 LEDs in this circuit, but not the series circuit?
In a series circuit, the electricity only has one path, which means the LEDs share the voltage. So if you have a 3v battery, they are each getting approximately 1.5v. In a parallel circuit, the electricity has multiple paths so they do not share the voltage. So if you have a 3v battery, each LED is receiving 3v.
Phase 8: Expressive Electronics
Phase 8: Expressive Electronics
Note: This expressive activity is directly related to the identity activity done in the beginning of the lesson. Masks We Wear was the suggested activity. If you chose to do a different identity activity, change the expressive electronics step accordingly.
1. Remind participants of the masks discussion and the masks they created.
2. Ask participants to take what they learned about masks and paper circuits to create a piece of art that juxtaposes how they view themselves vs. how others view them.
Important reminders:
Each LED you add to a series will increase the voltage required by 2-3V. You’ll end up needing high voltage batteries if you add too many LEDs in a series. The highest voltage battery we have is 9V which would power (3) 3V LEDs and (4) 2V LEDs.
You should remember to test that each LED works before placing them down with tape. You can test individual LEDs with a 3V battery.
You should also test your LED design before placing LEDs and resistors down with tape. You can use alligator leads to test your design.
Your creation can use LEDs any way you want, but remember, you may need to use a resistor to power your circuit.
3. Model an example.
4. Give participants time to complete their masks with series circuits. They can use the mask templates, or create a larger mask on construction paper/cardboard (will be the easier option).
Phase 9: Reflection
Phase 9: Reflection
Identity Questions
What did you include on either side of the mask?
Which side did you have a harder time depicting?
What are some differences between how others perceive you and how you perceive yourself?
What masks had similar self-depictions as yours?
Self-Efficacy Questions
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your knowledge of simple, parallel, and series circuits BEFORE today's activity?
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your knowledge of simple, parallel, and series circuits AFTER today's activity?
Did you have an "AHA!" moment today?
Is there anything that you still feel confused about?
How would you describe your knowledge of simple, parallel, and series circuits?
Appendix
Appendix
TEMPLATES simple circuit .pdfFigure 1: Simple Circuit Template
Figure 2: Parallel Circuit Template
Figure 3: Series Circuit Template
Figure 4: The Masks We Wear Worksheet
TEMPLATES parallel circuit .pdf TEMPLATES series circuit .pdfReport abuse