Two switch or Not Two Switch
Category: Physical Science Submitted by: Lorna Long Topics Covered: Appropriate for grades: 6-7 Estimated duration: 40 minutes What will happen: Students will make a circuit board with a two way switch. This lesson is intended to follow after the students have made a simple circuit with a switch made with a paper clip and fasteners. What you need: 2 D batteries 2 short pieces of wire 1 longer piece of wire bulb (Christmas tree light with wires attached) thick piece of cardboard approx. 20 cm by 30 cm masking tape 2 paper clips 6 paper fasteners wire strippers - if possible scissors What to do: Place batteries so that one positive terminal (top) of a battery is touching the negative terminal (bottom) of the second battery. Tape the two together. Tape in place on heavy cardboard. Using wire strippers, carefully strip about 2 cm (3/4 inch) of the insulation off each end of the wires. Tape one end of the longer wire to the positive end of the batteries and wrap the other end around a paper fastener. Put fastener through the paper clip and then push the fastener through the cardboard (make a small hole first with the tip of a pencil or something pointed). Fold back and tape in position. Wrap one end of a short piece of wire around a paper fastener and the other end around a second paper fastener. These will eventually be secured to the cardboard when positioning has been determined. Repeat number 4 with the other short wire and 2 paper fasteners. Tape one end of the Christmas light to the negative end of the batteries and wrap the other end around a paper fastener. Put it through a paper clip and push through the cardboard as in step number 3. Position the two short pieces in such a way that the circuit can be opened and closed by both paper switches. When this is determined, push the fasteners through the cardboard. Fold and tape on the back. In the classroom hints: Students would be working in pairs during this unit on electricity. Each student would have a Design Portfolio, begun at the beginning of the year. Students would first state the problem in their Design Portfolios and draw a diagram of what they think their two way switch will look like. They will have drawn a diagram of their simple switch circuit. As this is a follow up activity for a simple circuit, students could use the original circuit and adapt it for the two way switch. This would save on batteries and on time and organization. Depends on school budget, What to do next (extension activity): Try a three way switch Add another light (series circuit). What happens when one light is gone? Make a parallel circuit. Cross curricular connections: Language Arts: Reading and following direction Personal Planning: Co-operative decision making. Use management strategies to achieve their goal. Revision of plan to meet goal. Mathematics: Measurement, estimating Applied technology: Planning and designing. Proper use and care of equipment |