Lesson 2 - paper circuits

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

Note: Provide participants with a take-home kit (ziplock or other plastic container) with the materials they will need prior to scheduling the online session.

For each participant:

🙿 9 volt battery

🙿 3 volt battery

🙿 3 three alligator clips

🙿 300-330 ohm resistor

🙿 6 LEDs

🙿 Packet of templates

General:

🙿 Zoom/Gather Town

🙿 Google Jamboard (example link here)

TOTO Activity: Passing Objects (15 min)

Make sure that you are not screen sharing for this activity, so the participants can see one another. Encourage everyone to be in "gallery mode" if you are in zoom, so that everyone can see one another.

This activity is to get students used to moving around and interacting on Zoom (or whatever platform you are using).

Starting with one of the facilitators, present a small object on camera to the group. Say what it is, who you would like to pass it to, and why it is important.
When passing the object, bring it towards the camera, and see that the other person is receiving it. Then that person will pass something on to someone else. Ends once everyone has passed an object to someone else.

Vocabulary (10 min)

To go over the vocabulary for this lesson, use Google Jamboard (example) and have sticky notes with definitions and pictures of each of these to match up. Share your screen so the girls can see it. Lead an activity to match the definitions with the words and their pictures. What do they think goes with what?

Circuit: A circuit is the path that charged particles take as they move from one side of a power source to another.

Battery: Circuits start with a power source. The power source for us today is a coin battery.

Current: The amount of electrons flowing in a circuit during a period of time. The rate of the flow is measured in amperes, known as Amps.

Voltage: the amount of potential energy (or electrical pressure) in a source like a battery. Voltage is like water pressure: the higher the voltage, the more it can push electrons through a circuit.

Resistor: A resistor is an electrical component that limits or regulates the flow of electrons (current) in a circuit.

LED: A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a diode that emits light when a current flows through it. An LED has two terminals (or legs). The longer end is the positive end (+) and the shorter end is the negative end (-).

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.

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.

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.

What are Paper CIrcuits (2 Min)

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 (TIME ?)

Stop sharing your screen so the participants can see what you are doing.

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. Ask students to show their mask templates handout. When they all show they have it, 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 (10 min)

In this part of the lesson, introduce the copper tape. Share your screen with the jamboard.

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.

Ask girls for answers so you can add sticky notes to the question- "What kinds of things are "conductive"?

2. Explain that they will be using copper tape and ask them to hold up the tape and the simple circuit template. Give them time to examine both.

Resources:

Phase 3: Create A Simple Circuit (20 min)

Stop sharing your screen so the participants can see what you are doing.

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

Before moving on, have everyone share their simple circuits on camera.

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

Break (5 min)

TOTO Activity: Grover game (15 min)

One of the librarians is the facilitator
The facilitator then gives the group instructions, such as “come forward” then everyone leans in to the camera
- “Go back” - lean away from camera
- “Wave” - wave at camera
- “Hug” - give self a hug
- “Open eyes” - open your eyes
- “Close eyes” - close eyes
Do a round where you introduce each instruction
Once everyone has gotten the hang of it, have a round where everyone does the opposite (forward- back, wave-hug, open eyes-close)

Phase 4: Explain A Series Circuit (15 min)

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)

Resources:

2 min Series vs. parallel circuits

6 min - Ohm's law

7 min - Ohm's law for parallel and series

Phase 5: Create A Series Circuit (20 MIN)

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.pdf

Phase 6: Explain a Parallel Circuit (15 MIN)

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 (20 mIN)

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.

3 mins - parallel vs. series circuits

2 mins - Ohm's Law

Break (5 min)

Phase 8: Expressive Electronics (45 min)

Share your screen with the jamboard of examples, or show your own examples of masks that have been made in the past.

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. There are some on this jamboard for reference also.

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).

Resources:

Alligator Leads Video

Phase 9: Reflection (15 MIN)

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

TEMPLATES simple circuit .pdf

Figure 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 .pdf

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