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Electricity: Series and Parallel Circuits
Lesson Plan Design
Electricity: Series and Parallel Circuits

Lisa Berendowski
This lesson is the last application lesson in a unit on electricity in fourth grade. It is
assumed that students have already explored conductors and insulators, open and closed
circuits and switches. The explore lesson incorporates all of the above concepts as well
as series and parallel circuits.
Problem to be studied: Series and Parallel Circuits
Standard Statements:
3.1.4 A Know that natural and human-made objects are made up of parts.
3.2.4 A Identify and use the nature of scientific and technological knowledge.
*Provide clear explanations that account for observations and results.
3.4.4 B Know basic energy types, sources and conversions.
*Apply the knowledge of basic electrical circuits to design and construct
simple direct current circuits.
Content Objectives:
TSW predict and test how to make two bulbs light when connected in series and
parallel circuits.
TSW describe and illustrate how electricity flows in series and parallel circuits.
TSW label parts of series and parallel circuit systems in their science journals.
Process Objectives:
TSW demonstrate scientific inquiry by utilizing the four question strategy to explore
the materials and create series and parallel circuits.
TSW predict, hypothesize, test, observe, and record results of their design configurations
of the materials provided.
TSW provide detailed explanations and illustrations in their journals to show observations
and conclusions from results.
Assessment Strategies:
Formative Evaluation:
Students will show prior knowledge during the KWL and anticipation guide.
Students will record predictions, hypotheses, observations and illustrations about
the configurations of series and parallel circuits in their science journals.
Students will correctly define parallel and series circuits on student
VOC strategy sheets.
Summative Evaluation:
Students will create a series circuit in a performance assessment using the lab materials that
shows the singular flow of current in which all of the light bulbs turn off if the
circuit is opened.
Students will create a parallel circuit in a performance assessment using lab materials that shows the
alternative paths that the current will flow to enable the other lights to remain lit when the circuit
is opened.
Students will accurately draw and label the dry cell, wires, and light bulb in a complete series and parallel
circuit. They will also describe how the configuration of them creates the specific flow in series
and parallel circuits in the form of a final assessment.
Students will create a model room and proposal letter using the rubric as a guide for assessment.
Procedures:
Suggested Level:
Grade 4
Materials:
Per group of 4-5
students:
4 dry cells (size D) in
holders
7 insulated wires
(stripped on ends)
4 light bulbs in holders
2 sets of Christmas lights
(one as a series and one
as a parallel circuit)
3 Industrial Spy mission
tickets.
1 shoe box
Per student:
Science journal and a
pencil.
Copies of the KWL and
Anticipation guide
Per class:
3 light bulb and 1 battery
hats for the role play in
the explain section.
10 small balls: could be
ping pong, tennis, or
Styrofoam craft balls,
whatever you have
available.
Two ropes at least 12 feet
in length each. Engage:
Show discrepant event with Christmas lights. Give teams 2 sets of Christmas lights. One should utilize a
series circuit and the other a parallel circuit. Have students plug in the lights and choose one strand to
experiment with first. Simultaneously, have students pull one light out of the strand. Due to the two
strands, different groups may get different results. Some groups may have observed the entire strand going
out and others may have observed the lights staying on. Discuss observations and verbally predict what
may happen when the students pull the light out of the other strand. Have students pull the light out of the
other strand. Discuss observations. Using their knowledge of open and closed circuits and currents, have
students explain what they think is happening. Let students replace the bulbs and repeat the removal of one
bulb at various points in each strand. Have students answer the following questions in their journal
after they have had time to engage and observe the results:
What did I do?
What did I observe?
What do I think it means?
(Specifically, what is going on inside the wires to make the lights behave the way they
do. Students should be encouraged to draw an illustration of what they think is occurring
and how the wires are connected inside using their previous knowledge of currents and
open and closed circuits.)
Share student observations and discuss ideas. Introduce the idea that circuits can be wired differently so
that we get different results.
At this time, pass out K-W-L and anticipation guide to be completed by the students before the onset of the
next activity.
Explore:
Each team may deem a member as an Industrial Spy who may walk around the room to look at other
group work and report back to their team. Although the Industrial Spy should be allowed only 3 mission
tickets to be submitted to the teacher before leaving their team. Others members of the team should include
a Materials Manager (to collect and return materials), a Presenter (to report the conclusions to the class
after the activity) and a Clarifying Coach (to make sure the group is following ALL of the directions and
answering ALL of the questions for the activity).
Provide groups with 1 D cell battery in holder, 2 bulbs in holder, and four wires. Challenge them to
explore the materials by creating as many circuits as they can. Before they create the circuits, have them
use the four question strategy to isolate variables and critically think about the task at hand.
4 question strategy:
What materials are readily available to study circuits?
What do circuits do?
How can I change the materials to affect what circuits do?
(In this case, ask students to draw and label different ways in which they can connect all of the materials.
Encourage them to deduce all of the possibilities and record them in their journal with careful labeling of
the parts and a prediction of how the lights will behave in the circuit.)
How can I observe and record the change in results?
Students should record the questions and their responses in their journals. Give students ample time to
explore each of the possible options and record results.
Ask the team Presenters to share the illustrations and conclusions with the class until all possibilities of
configurations have been explored. Record them on poster board for display in the classroom in the form
of a T-chart distinguishing between the circuit in which all of the bulbs went out and those in which only
one bulb went out. Explain:
The Christmas lights, at the beginning of our activity, showed two different types of circuits at work: series
and parallel circuits. Label the T-chart titles as Series Circuit and Parallel Circuit. Both have the capacity
to light the bulbs, but in different ways.
Think of a series circuit as a single row of lights. It is one complete pathway with no other alternative
pathways. If one light goes out, then the rest will go out as well because the flow of electricity has stopped.
The burned out light opens the circuit so that the current cannot pass through. To illustrate this point, have
some students or the entire class sit in a single circle facing the center of the circle while holding a rope to
illustrate the wire connection. Two students will pretend to be the light bulbs and another student, the
battery. Start the flow of electricity by passing 10 small balls one at a time around the circle. They should
start with the child pretending to be the battery. Give two students light bulbs hats to wear while they are
receiving the flow of the current of electricity. Let the students pass the balls to show the flow of
electricity. Ask one of the light bulbs to move out of the circuit and take off the hat to show that the light
went out. Electricity cannot jump over the gap in the circle, so the balls should accumulate at the person
right before the burned out light bulb. The other light bulb is receiving no electrical energy (the balls), so
that student should take off the hat as well to signify that the light went out. If a light bulb goes out in a
series circuit, it opens the circuit so that the other bulbs will go out s well.
Think of a parallel circuit, however, as a double row of lights. It is two complete pathways. So if one
pathway is opened when a bulb goes out, the electricity can still move on an alternative pathway. Take
the