Electronic circuits

What is an electronic circuit?

- A path of conductors which electric current can flow or travel through.

How are electronic circuits used?

-It is used to create the flow of electricity through different objects. Electronic circuits are
used to produce sound, light and other effects within an object.

Why should electronic circuits be used in the classroom?

We depend on electricity everyday
It is a hands on learning opportunity
Promotes creativity and critical thinking skills
Electrical engineering jobs use this skill
Promotes collaboration

Ideas and ways electronic circuits can be used in the classroom:

Creating door alarms: students use a variety of materials to create an electric
circuit to make their own door bell and even make it ring.
Students can create an electric circuit to make a light bulb light up.
Electric playdough: students can create a circuit and talk about insulators and
conductors. Students discover that sugar dough can be a good insulator and salt
dough can be a good conductor in electric circuits. Student could write about
what they discovered.
Students can use electric circuits to create a toy, game or foot operated dance
pad.

Resources available to implement electronic circuits in the

classroom:
The Snap Circuit website has different snap circuit kits you can purchase.
The Snap Circuit website also has a list of different examples of circuit projects
created by students that can be replicated by other students.
The Switched On Kids website contains different lesson plans on electric circuits.
The Brain Pop website has a resource teachers can use to introduce electronic
circuits to students.

Research on electronic circuits:

Akarsu, B. (2011). Burglar alarm: A simple circuit hands-on experiment.

European Journal of Physics Education, 2(2). Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1053845.pdf
 Akarsu (2011) researched why high school students struggle to understand
concepts of physics. He found this issue is usually linked to lack of understanding in
electricity and magnetic concepts. He believes that concepts such as voltage, electric
field, and current can be taught to students through hands on experiences. He mentions
that students beginning in grade eight start to learn about these concepts and by providing
them with concrete examples will help better their understanding. Akarus (2011) created
and incorporated a lesson plan on making a simple burglar alarm circuit to illustrate how
an electric circuit works and electric current is transmitted through electrical wires in his
article. The lesson was create for teachers to use in their classroom and explains materials
needed to conduct the lesson, guided questions to ask students and visual models which
illustrate what students are being asked to create.

Feinberg, L. (2010). Kick stick hands-on challenge. Technology & Engineering

Teacher, 70(4), 11-13.

Feinbergs (2010) article discusses how to implement an activity called Kick Stick
involving electronic circuits into the classroom. The Kick Stick activity involves students
utilizing a wooden paint stirrer and a electric circuit to create a spinning arm which can
kick materials across the floor. The article provides readers with a link to a source
teachers can use to introduce electronic circuits. The article discusses how it is important
to provide students with a problem and ask them questions to activate their knowledge
and critical thinking skills to use in the activity. Feinberg suggests that students have the
opportunity to not only build and design their Kick Stick, but also be given the
opportunity to re-evaluate and redesign their project if problems occur. The article also
provides readers with resources to show students real-world connections to projects
involving engineering.

Resources:

Akarsu, B. (2011). Burglar alarm: A simple circuit hands-on experiment. European

Journal of Physics Education, 2(2). Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1053845.pdf

Discovery Communications, LLC. (2016). How do electric circuits work?. In Discovery

Kids. Retrieved November 13, 2016, from http://discoverykids.com/articles/how
do-electric-circuits-work/

Feinberg, L. (2010). Kick stick hands-on challenge. Technology & Engineering

Teacher, 70(4), 11-13.

Lowe, D. (2016). What is an electric circuit. In Dummies. Retrieved November 13, 2016,
from http://www.dummies.com/programming/electronics/components/what-is-an
electronic-circuit/
PBS & WGBH Educational Foundation. (2016). Electric circuits. In ETV. Retrieved
November 13, 2016, from
http://scetv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfe.lp_electric/electri
-circuits/

Widespread Electrical Sales . (2015). Electrical circuitry projects for the classroom. In
Widespread Electrical Sales. Retrieved November 13, 2016, from
http://www.widespreadsales.com/Electrical-Circuitry-Projects-for-the-Classroom