Discovery Activities: Current Electricity

How is electricity generated? Students explore this concept as they create a simple circuit using hand-powered generators and test materials for conductivity.

Contact Information

For more information about this program, contact:

Menzel Smith-Jones
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Bldg.400C – P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000
631-344-4495 (phone)
631-344-7098 (fax)
slc@bnl.gov

How is electricity generated? Students explore this concept as they create a simple circuit using hand-powered generators and test

Vocabulary

current electricity, circuit, open and closed circuits, atom, electron, proton, neutron, conductors, insulators

materials for conductivity.

Audience for This Program

Elementary

Grades: 3-4

Program Benefits

Lesson Objectives

1) Define current electricity.

2) Construct simple circuits, both open and closed.

3) Discover that metals are good conductors and non-metals are poor conductors or insulators.

Rules & Eligibility Criteria

Minimum group size 15, maximum 30, up to 3 groups at a time.