This is a fully editable discovery activity for the beginning of electrical circuits.

Materials Needed Per Student/Pair/Group:

• 2 or 3 batteries (I recommend D - batteries)
• 4 wires (I used alligator clip wires)
• 1 multimeter or voltmeter
• 2 lightbulbs and lightbulb holders
• A small LED light for the optional bonus

4 tasks of increasing difficulty, 2 bonus tasks, and questions to drive student thinking.

No instruction is given as to how to accomplish these tasks. The teacher will have to explain how to measure voltage using a voltmeter/multimeter.

Learning Outcomes

• Introduces the idea of a closed circuit
• Introduces how to change voltage
• Introduces series and parallel circuits
• Introduces the concept of a diode with LED
• Encourages trial and error