T-GEM-Circuits
One of the areas where I find students struggle every year is the construction of parallel and series circuits. When using actual batteries/wires, students often are able to make a lightbulb glow or a motor run simply by randomly connecting different objects together. While this might accomplish a goal, it does not help build student understanding as to how circuits can be designed.
In looking through resources to help with this T-GEM lesson, I came upon a resource called Circuit World, provided by Cumbria and Lancashire Education Online (CLEO). Circuit World is incredibly helpful because it allows students to build circuits with no real room for false-positives, and lets students represent their circuits using 3 different visual themes.
Generate:
To start this lesson, I would demonstrate for students how to build a working circuit using Circuit World. I would then lead us in a talk about the difference between parallel and series circuits, culminating with the class building a parallel circuit together on the smartboard.
I would then ask students to build 2 different circuits; one using the larger lightbulb and the other using the smaller lightbulbs. I would also ask them to add switches so that both lightbulbs could be used independently.
Attached to this section I would ask the following questions:
-Why do you think our original circuit design was not able to light up the large lightbulb?
-Why is switch placement so important? Were there places you put the switch that didn’t help with the goal of operating them independently?
-Did anyone happen to burn out a lightbulb? (A common problem of adding too many batteries.)
Evaluate:
Next, I would present a number of circuits to students that are non-functional. I would then ask them to recreate the circuit on their own computer, but improve it by making it functional. The problems with circuits here would range from simple (no battery) to more advanced (more bulbs than the batteries can power) to quite difficult (wiring all over the place).
Modify:
For this final step, I would ask students to get creative with their circuit design. I would ask that they use newer elements (resistors) and incorporate them into their previous circuits. What effect do these new elements have? How do they change what you are able to do with the circuit? I would also challenge them to use a variety of output devices (alarm, motor) instead of just lightbulbs. How do series and parallel circuits differ when adding in a variety of output devices?
Hi Caleb
I like the fact that you introduced the class to a new resource. I like the order of your questions.
I wonder if it would be better to introduce the simulation first or to have the students use actual hardware.
Christopher
Hey Christopher,
Thanks for the feedback. I was actually asking myself a similar questions as I was building this T-GEM lesson.
Currently, I introduce students to circuits in an inquiry-heavy lesson. I give them all of the hardware to complete a circuit with a lightbulb as the output device. They then need to take it and try to build the circuit without any formal direction.
I was asking myself if this T-GEM lesson would be a replacement to the previous inquiry method, or a natural progression. Having reflected on it a little bit this week, I feel as if this lesson would make a better followup to the hands-on.
Hi Caleb,
I was actually wondering if would be more interesting and inquiry based if (after a brief intro) you showed them a number of different malfunctioning circuits first and have groups of students try to explain why they might be malfunctioning. Then they could build a set of rules for circuits based on what they learned and you could follow up with the difference between parallel and series circuits.
Cheers!
Gordon
Hey Gordon,
That is a great idea. I do a similar thing with actual circuits in class where I have students solve a broken circuit as part of a hands-on test. I really like your idea for this lesson though. Presenting groups with malfunctions could facilitate quality problem-solving conversations and prove to be more engaging.
Caleb I love your topic! It was the same one I picked too as my students seriously struggle with this concept. It is hard enough dealing with the creation of circuits, but then add the human error and faulty equipment and you get a recipe for disaster with the bad batteries creating misconceptions about what should or should not have lit up. What I love about your model was the concept of “debugging”. To be able to take what you know is a faulty circuit and have to remix it to work. This break fix method puts the “why it works” in your hands because you intentionally introduced the successful variable. I think for me I would sandwich the software (yours or mine) in between a hands on exploration. Letting students go ahead and explore and try with the real hands on pieces, recreate and explore in the software, then try to build again based on what they learned.
Hey Trisha,
I always find that my book-smart students struggle greatly with the concept of building circuits. Do you find anything similar? My students that need to fight their way through the more academic science units can throw together a circuit in no time, and it makes sense to them.
And you are totally right with the faulty equipment. This year we were plagued by dead batteries, which is frustrating and almost defeats a quality inquiry lesson.
I like how you mention debugging. We have talked about that a little bit in our coding lessons. I will definitely bring that language over to circuitry. Good tip!
Dear Caleb,
I love the hands-on and visual component of your design. Your teaching prompts are specific and promotes inquiry and reflection.
To enhance the use of domain specific vocabulary, some students may not have the vocabulary to explain why something doesn’t work (i.e. resister etc.) How would you bridge this knowledge gap?
This reminds me of maker-centred learning. This means that students make an item (or create a non-object solution and innovate in order to solve a problem. How do you think the GEM pedagogy work with maker-centred learning?
Alice
Hey Alice,
Great question. I wouldn’t plan on explaining resistors right off the start. I think the uncertainty of the name adds to the inquiry element. They take this ‘mysterious’ looking electrical component, see how it functions and determine a purpose for it. Following the lesson we would then have a class-wide conversation where we identify the names that we are unfamiliar with and then explain their meaning and function together as a class.
Dear Caleb,
Good plan and perhaps you can do a naming contest. I think it is valuable to develop student agency via small group exploration and whole-class discussions. This gives students more time to explore and make inferences.
If possible, how would you bridge this to learning beyond the classroom?
Sincerely,
Alice