Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Basic Electrical Circuits

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

This stage of the lesson plan is crucial for establishing the foundations of the practical and theoretical knowledge that students will need to explore the world of electric circuits. By clearly defining the objectives, students will have a clear view of what is expected of them, both in terms of theoretical understanding and practical application during classroom activities. This ensures precise and effective guidance of the inverted learning process.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to understand the basic functioning of an electric circuit, identifying its main components and their functions.

2. Develop practical skills to assemble and test simple circuits, using batteries, resistors, and conductive wires.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage critical thinking and problem-solving through the identification of faults in circuits and their correction.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students and connect the prior knowledge acquired at home with practical everyday situations, making learning more relevant and meaningful. The problem situations proposed encourage students to think critically about how to apply their knowledge in real scenarios, while the contextualization highlights the importance of electric circuits in their lives, increasing interest and motivation to study the topic.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine that you have just inherited a collection of old battery-operated toys, but they are partially disassembled. If you needed to make one of these toys work again, what would you do to check if the problem is in the electric circuit?

2. You are at a campsite and need a flashlight to move around at night, but the only available one does not turn on. What steps would you take to find out if the problem is with the battery, the switch, or the circuit itself?

Contextualization

Electric circuits are present in almost every aspect of our daily lives, from the electronic devices we use to the electrical installations that light up our homes. Understanding how they work is vital not only for scientific curiosity but also for solving practical everyday problems. For example, being able to identify faults in a circuit can help save time and money at home or work.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to practically and playfully apply the knowledge acquired about electric circuits. The proposed activities encourage collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving in a fun and engaging context. By choosing one of the activities, students will have the opportunity to explore the functioning of circuits more deeply, testing their assembly and fault diagnosis skills.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Circuit Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop problem-solving and teamwork skills, as well as reinforce knowledge about the components of an electric circuit.

- Description: In this activity, students will become detectives of an electrical mystery. They will receive a set of cards, each describing a circuit component (battery, resistor, conductive wire) and its possible functions. The challenge is to assemble and test the circuit, using the information from the cards to discover which component is missing and preventing the circuit from functioning properly.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute the circuit cards, one for each group, and explain that each card contains information about a circuit component.

• Each group must use the cards to assemble the described circuit and test it with a multimeter.

• If the circuit does not work, students must discuss and decide which card they need to 'steal' from the other groups so that the circuit works.

• The group that is able to assemble and make the complete circuit work first wins the challenge.

Activity 2 - The Great Circuit Builder

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Promote practical understanding of the importance of each component in the functioning of a circuit and stimulate the capacity for analysis and problem-solving.

- Description: Students will be challenged to build a circuit that activates a small device (like an LED or a small motor) from a battery, conductive wires, and resistors. They will need to follow a basic schematic, but with one missing component which they must identify and correct in order for the circuit to work properly.

- Instructions:

• Organize the room into workstations, each with the materials needed to build the circuit.

• Guide students to follow a basic circuit schematic, which includes the battery, wires, resistors, and a space for the 'mystery' component.

• Students must try to assemble the circuit and test it, noting where the circuit fails.

• Each group receives a hint about the component that is missing from the circuit; the hint is related to the electrical properties of the component.

• Students must identify and add the correct component for the circuit to work.

• After correcting, each group must explain why that component was necessary in the circuit.

Activity 3 - Light and Sound Circuit

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop assembly skills and error identification in circuits, as well as reinforce knowledge about the functioning of electronic components.

- Description: In this challenge, students need to assemble a circuit that connects an LED and a small speaker, both powered by a battery. The circuit must be built on a breadboard, following a provided basic schematic, but with some intentional errors. Students must identify and correct these errors for the components to work.

- Instructions:

• Prepare the workstations with all necessary materials, including a breadboard, a battery, wires, an LED, and a small speaker.

• Instruct students to follow the provided schematic to assemble the circuit.

• There will be intentional errors in the schematic that students must identify and correct for the circuit to function properly.

• Each group is entitled to one hint about where the error is, but must discover the solution on their own.

• Groups must test the completed circuit and check if the LED and speaker activate when the battery is connected.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

This feedback section aims to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to reflect on their experiences and share insights with their peers. Through group discussion, students have the opportunity to verbalize what they learned, which can help with knowledge retention. Additionally, hearing peers' perspectives can offer new ways to approach the challenges of electric circuits, promoting collaborative and deeper learning.

Group Discussion

At the end of the activities, gather all students for a group discussion. Start the discussion with a brief review of the activities carried out, asking what were the biggest challenges encountered and what surprised each group the most during the assembly of the circuits. Encourage students to share their strategies for solving problems and how they applied the knowledge acquired in practical situations. Use this moment for each group to learn from each other's experiences and to reinforce key concepts about electric circuits.

Key Questions

1. What were the main components of a circuit that you identified during the activities?

2. How did understanding the workings of each component help in the assembly and diagnosis of circuits?

3. Was there any idea or strategy that one group used that could be useful for other groups in future activities with circuits?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this Conclusion stage is to consolidate the knowledge acquired by students, ensuring that they can clearly articulate what they have learned. Furthermore, by highlighting the practical relevance of electric circuits, it aims to motivate students to continue exploring the topic and to apply the concepts learned in their lives. This final reflection helps solidify the learning and prepares students for future applications of electric circuit knowledge.

Summary

To conclude the lesson, the teacher should summarize the key points discussed about electric circuits, emphasizing the function and importance of each component, such as batteries, resistors, and conductive wires. It is essential to recap how these components interact to allow the flow of electricity and the functioning of devices.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the theory of electric circuits was directly applied in practical activities, such as assembling simple circuits and solving problems in groups. This method allowed students to visualize and feel theoretical concepts in action, strengthening the connection between theory and practice.

Closing

Understanding electric circuits is fundamental, as these concepts are applicable not only in academic contexts but also in everyday situations. From the operation of electronic devices to the maintenance of residential electrical systems, knowledge of electric circuits can help students be more effective and safe in their interactions with technology and electricity.