I.

Standard

III.

IV.

V.

Date:

Cooperating Teacher:

Co-Op initial:

Group Size:
A.

II.

Name: Josh Rankin

Subject:

Time:

Grade:
Section

3.4.4D2- Recognize and use everyday symbols (electrical symbols) to communicate

key ideas.
Objective
A. The fourth grade students will be able to draw or explain a circuit using only the
secret code diagram.
Materials
A. Circuit Kit
B. Science Notebook
C. Writing utensil
D. List of component symbols
Subject Matter
A. Prerequisite Skills
1.
Ability to read and write
2.
Circuit building skills from previous lessons
B. Vocabulary
C. Main Idea
1.
There are universal symbols for the components of an electrical
circuit.
D. Additional Content
1.
It is important to use these symbols when we talk about circuits in
the same way as using the same units when we measure.
Implementation
A. Introduction
1.
The teacher will have the students create a circuit of their own.
2.
The teacher will pick a random students circuit (without telling
the students) and then draw a diagram of the circuit.
3.
The teacher will ask the students what they think the drawing is
of.
B. Development
1.
The teacher will explain that the drawing is a diagram of a circuit
and that students can diagram a circuit so that they can more easily explain
their circuit.
2.
The students will guess what all of the different symbols mean in
the circuit
3.
The teacher will explain and write the different symbols on the
white board.
1. The students will also receive the symbols of components sheet.

4.

VI.

The teacher will ask for another circuit and have the students
walk through the creation of another circuit diagram on the white board.
5.
The students will get with an elbow buddy and will make circuits
for each other.
6.
The students will then switch circuits and will draw a diagram of
the circuit they received.
1. The students will get 10 minutes to practice diagraming circuits.
7.
The students will put their symbols sheet away and repeat the
process one more time and write down the circuit diagram in their science
notebook.
1. The students will write down if their first diagram was correct.
2. If their first diagram is not correct they will get their symbols sheet
out
8.
After the students are finished the students will hand in their
science notebooks.
9.
If students finish early they can look at the pre-drawn diagrams on
the smart board and practice using a diagram to build a circuit.
C. Closure
1.
The teacher will read a section of the book Electricity by Richard
and Louis Spilsbury.
2.
The students will begin pack up and recess.
D. Assessment
1.
Formative- The teacher will use a 3 point checklist containing
correct use symbols, correct compilation to show the whole circuit, and if
needed a correction to the circuit diagram.
2.
Summative- There will be no
E. Accommodations/Differentiation
1.
For student 16 who has difficulties writing the teacher will have a
one on one interview.
Reflection
A. Report of Student performance
23/28 (82%) were able to create the correct corresponding circuit diagram that
their partner gave them. The students were able to make a circuit for their elbow
buddy and use their knowledge to make a diagram. The students aware of the
small details that are critical to creating the correct diagram. The five students
who were made incorrect diagrams did not draw the battery in the correct order.
They would draw the positive side where the negative side of the cell was. This is
an important concept to know so that when they come across a diagram they can
replicate it in a real circuit, and if they had the cell the wrong way the circuit
would not work.
B. Remediation Plan

The teacher would have an incorrect diagram. The students would make a circuit
that replicates the diagram and the circuit should not work. The teacher will ask
the students to solve the problem, the problem will be that the cell is placed in the
wrong way. The students will fix the problem and look at the diagram to make the
correct changes.
C. Personal Reflection
1.
Is this assessment the best option for the activity?
The journals are good for this since the students will need to practice the
diagraming code. I should have given all of the students the same circuits
to diagram rather than having students create and share on their own. If I
create a more structured inquiry they will be able to give more precise and
concise answers or explanations of what they have done.
2.

What did I do if students ask about a component that is not on the

symbol list?
The students only had one option part of the circuit that I did not show
them the code for. That was the conductors and insulators which do not
have a code symbol, but those materials will eventually make a switch in
later lessons. I would show the students the switch symbol if the question
would have come up but the students were not able to get to experiment
with the conductors and insulators within the lesson time.

3.

Would the students do better if they received a diagram and would

then have to figure out how to build the circuit?
I think students had fun and learned from creating and diagraming but I
think they would have developed a better understanding if I would have
given them the diagram first. This would also make it easier for me to
assess the class since they would all be working off of the same circuits.

VII.

Resources
Electric circuits (2nd ed.). (2004). Washington, D.C.: National Science Resources
Center.

Spilsbury, L., & Spilsbury, R. (2013). Electricity. London: Raintree.