A Hands-on Approach to Teaching Electricity and Conductivity in 8th Grade Science Introduction The Tennessee 8th grade science curriculum contains several standards (listed below) related to engineering and electricity. Students have difficulty identifying steps of the engineering design process in actual situations or scenarios, and they often struggle to make connections between atoms, electricity, magnetism, and engineering. Students have misconceptions about what electricity actually is and how it is transmitted. After instruction, students generally can identify which materials make good insulators or conductors, but many students cannot explain the reason for conductivity. These concepts can be taught in a way that encourages student creativity and cultivates curiosity and interest in the fields of science and engineering. During the RET program, this unit has been developed to incorporate several hands-on projects to enhance student understanding of electricity and conductivity, while providing connections to real-life applications and engineering. Implications for Learning Hands-on activities actively engage students in learning and exploration. This unit employs various hands-on activities to improve understanding of electricity and conductivity and to connect these ideas with real-life applications, such as those found in the field of engineering. Mastery will be determined using the post-assessment and analyzing performance on the hands-on activities. Lessons can be differentiated for advanced students by making the activities more inquiry- based, and students who need more assistance can be given more detailed instructions and additional practice exercises. The pre- and post-surveys will also provide useful data about students’ attitude, interest, confidence, and knowledge about engineering, electricity, and conductivity. Tennessee State Standards Addressed T/E.1 Identify the tools and procedures needed to test the design features of a prototype. T/E.2 Use the engineering design process that incorporates design constraints, model building, testing, evaluating, modifying, and retesting. Inq.2 Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, organize, analyze, and interpret data Explain the relationship between magnetism and electricity. 9.1 Identify atoms as the fundamental particle making up all matter. 9.9 Describe the properties of the main groups of elements (including conductivity). Examples of Hands-on Activities Olivia Ritter Maryville Junior High School Unit Overview The unit will begin by giving a pre-assessment to gauge students’ prior knowledge about electricity and conductivity. Additionally, a survey will be given to determine students’ attitude, understanding, and interest in the field of engineering. A series of lectures and discussions will introduce new material and review ideas relating to electricity, conductivity, circuits, and renewable energy (specifically solar cells). Students will participate in multiple hands-on activities to apply and practice the concepts from the lectures and discussions. Finally, a post- unit assessment and survey will be completed to determine student growth and changes in attitude, understanding, and interest in the field of engineering. Solar Jitterbug Adapted from: idea?isid=684 Students use an assortment of materials to build a device to turn light energy into mechanical energy. The end goal is to build a “bug” that will move around or “jitter” when exposed to sunlight. Squishy Circuits Photo and activity from: rcuits/index.htm Students will use two types of dough, insulating and conductive, to build circuits and extend their knowledge of conductivity and electricity. Homemade Electrical Quiz Adapted from: Students use simple materials, such as aluminum foil, paper clips, cardboard, and electrical tape, to create an electrical quiz. When the correct term or question in the left column is matched with the correct answer in the right column, a circuit is completed, and the light illuminates. Touchscreen Simulation Activity from: American Society for Engineering Education Students simulate a touchscreen with simple materials, turning on an LED light when circuits are completed by touching intersecting strips of foil.