Day two was electric! Students began the day building on what they learned yesterday to create a name tag that lights up. They used batteries, LED lights, and copper tape. We then continued discussions about roadblocks and breakthroughs allowing students to encourage and help each other.

Our electrical engineers were problem-solvers, professionals, and teammates as they explored four different electricity stations. Within the stations, they investigated the flow of energy, multiple batteries and bulbs, how to use resources to answer questions, and what impacts electricity.

Station 1: What makes a light bulb light up? What is happening in the circuit when a light bulb is not lit up?

Station 2: How can I use multiple batteries to light up one light bulb? How can I use one battery to light up multiple light bulbs? They also began to investigate their own questions, such as what would happen if we used 3 batteries to power one bulb?

Station 3: Students brainstormed questions they were wondering about and read a variety of books to look for their answers. Along the way, they learned many other interesting things! For example, one student was excited to learn about how atoms are involved in creating electricity.

Station 4: What allows electricity to flow (conductors)? What stops electricity from flowing (insulators)? At this station, students made predictions and then tested to see if their predictions were correct. They began to form hypotheses on the types of materials that are conductors. One student related the various conductors to a train and explained that a conductor allows electricity to flow down the “track.”

We debriefed stations by sharing what we learned, drawing circuits, and labeling the aspects of circuits. We also began reading a book about Hedy Lamar and her great accomplishments.

We had a busy and exciting day! Here are some questions/conversation starters you can ask your student tonight: