Topic: Physical Science -­‐ Energy Software: Franklin’s Lab Series vs. Parallel Circuits Lesson Overview Activity video available at edu.zspace.com Grade Level: 3rd-­‐ 5th Students will compare the appearance of the series and parallel circuits that are displayed. They will explore how the electrical current is affected when a light bulb "blows out" in both circuits. Lesson Time: 30 Minutes Objectives Resources: Answer Key •
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Observe how energy can be transferred through electrical currents Compare how energy moves in different types of circuits Key Terms: Parallel Circuit Series Circuit Standards (NGSS and Common Core) For state specific standards visit edu.zspace.com Next Generation Science Standards • Physical Science – Energy o 4-­‐PS3-­‐2 Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. Common Core Connections • Language Arts o W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. o W.4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. Differentiation •
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Students may be grouped heterogeneously to allow students with a strong command of the English language to assist in reading or interpreting questions Provide paper copies of diagrams to students to use as a reference Provide a handout with a list of vocabulary terms and definitions that will appear in their activity Give students a variety of presentation styles to choose from (using charts/graphs, PowerPoint, making 3D presentations, creating videos/movies, making posters) Enrichment: Students could find real-­‐world problems involving the concept and design solutions to those problems Enrichment: Students could work on the discussion questions and lead the class discussion Series vs. Parallel Circuit 1
Topic: Physical Science -­‐ Energy Software: Franklin’s Lab Introduction The teacher will tell the students that they will be comparing the appearance of series and parallel circuits. They will then explore how the electrical current is affected when a light bulb "blows out" in both circuits. The teacher should ask the students what a “blow out” means for a light bulb. The teacher could talk about how a filament will break and the flashlight bulb however in an LED nothing breaks but the current is not flowing. Activity -­‐ Series vs. Parallel Circuit 1. The circuit on the left is a p arallel circuit and the circuit on the right is a series circuit. Describe their similarities/differences in appearance. 2. Predict: If one flashlight "blows out" in each circuit, w hat do you think will happen to the electrical current throughout the rest of the circuit? 3. Remove one flashlight bulb from each circuit in order to observe what will happen when a flashlight b ulb “blows out”. 4. What h appened to the electrical current in the parallel circuit? Were the other flashlight b ulbs affected? 5. What h appened to the electrical current in the series circuit? Were the other flashlight b ulbs affected? Teacher note If students change the batteries they will blow out light bulbs. They can replace them as needed. Closing
After the students have completed the activity, they will gather as a class to discuss their observations. Students will compare parallel and series circuits and discuss advantages/disadvantages of each. The students will complete the follow-­‐up questions below. Questions for Discussion 1. If you were to buy light bulbs to hang up for the holiday, would it be better for the lights to be in a series or parallel circuit? Explain your reasoning. Answers will vary. Sample Answer: If I were to buy light bulbs to hang up, I would prefer for them to be in a parallel circuit. My reasoning is because if one light bulb blows out, I will quickly be able to identify that light bulb and replace it. In addition, if one light bulb blows out, the rest of my lights will continue to shine. 2. Can you think of other places/things that use parallel circuits? Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Parallel circuits are found in a house. For example, when you turn off your fan, it doesn’t turn off the TV. 3. Is the circuit open or closed when a light bulb blows out in a series circuit? Series vs. Parallel Circuit 2
Topic: Physical Science -­‐ Energy Software: Franklin’s Lab Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Since every component in a series circuit needs to work in order for electricity to flow, the circuit would be considered "open" because the light bulb cannot let the current through. 4. Is the circuit open or closed when a light bulb blows out in a parallel circuit? Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Since each light has its own circuit in a parallel circuit, the circuit with the blown out light bulb would be considered "open" because the light bulb cannot let the current through; however, the other circuits within that parallel circuit would be considered "closed" since an electric current continues to flow throughout the rest. ∆Investigate Further Follow-­‐up Activity: Complete the "Challenge -­‐ Series and Parallel Circuits" activity. Answer Key – Series vs. Parallel Circuit Activity Questions Provided in Franklin’s Lab 1. The circuit on the left is a parallel circuit and the circuit on the right is a series circuit. Describe their similarities/differences in appearance. Answers will vary. Sample Answer: The parallel circuit has several paths in which the energy is flowing, while the electrical current in the series circuit follows one path. 2. Predict: If one flashlight "blows out" in each circuit, what do you think will happen to the electrical current throughout the rest of the circuit? Answers will vary. Sample Answer: If one flashlight blows out, I predict that the rest of the flashlights in the parallel circuit will continue to shine, while the flashlight bulbs in the series circuit will not shine. 3. Remove one flashlight bulb from each circuit in order to observe what will happen when a flashlight bulb “blows out”. Screenshot 4. What happened to the electrical current in the parallel circuit? Were the other flashlight bulbs affected? Answers will vary. Sample Answer: Even though one flashlight burned out in the parallel circuit, each light had its own circuit, which allowed electricity to continue to flow through the rest of the light bulbs. 5. What happened to the electrical current in the series circuit? Were the other flashlight bulbs affected? Answers will vary. Sample Answer: In a series circuit, every component must function in order for the circuit to be complete. Therefore, when one bulb burned out, it broke the circuit and did not allow electricity to flow to the other light bulbs. Series vs. Parallel Circuit 3