1. Teaching resources Addressing:
Investigating how forces or Electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system (ACTDEK020)
Complemented with:
Representing and communicating design ideas (ACTDEP025)

2. Step by step guide
This is a step by step teachers guide introducing electrical circuit from a manual perspective and then developed to hands on learning with circuit models progressing to the use of Makey Makey.

3. Introducing Circuits What is a electrical circuit?
A circuit is a closed loop allowing a charge to continuously move (Hubber & Kirkwood, 2007).
Through the introduction of How a torch works, enables understanding of how a circuit works and the need for it to be closed to work. Students can be introduced to the graphical differences between the schematic view versus circuit diagram. You could even take apart a torch to deepen understanding.
(Hubber & Kirkwood, 2007)

4. Investigating Circuits
Students create their own circuit with wire battery and light bulbs, as demonstrated in this YouTube clip, give the students the materials and see what solutions they can come up with. Introduce the students to the concept of conductors and non-conductors of electricity.
(Allain, 2011)
Introduce students to Electricians and Scientist key for drawing electrical circuits. Students can then create the electrical circuit diagram. Using these symbols for the light bulb circuit they created. This task can be done in pairs.
(Hubber & Kirkwood, 2007)

5. Introduce students to circuit board packs such as brain box
Introduce students to circuit board packs such as brain box. Take out the instructions and see if students can come up with own ideas first. This activity could be done in pairs or small groups.
(HomeScience, 2010)
(Brain Box, 2013)
This YouTube video exemplifies how safe, quick and easy using snap on electric circuits

6. Creating Circuits
Allow students now to look at instruction booklets. Have students work in small groups on one particular model.
Students groups will create a guide for other students to follow. They can choose to do this as a PowerPoint, iMovie, flowchart or step by step guide of assigned model for other students to follow.

7. Exploring Makey Makey
(Silver, 2012)
Click on the image above to watch the video about what Makey Makey can do.
Makey Makey is a small circuit board that you connect to a computer via USB connection and with the use of alligator clips attached to objects, changes the functions of those objects. As demonstrated in this YouTube clip.

8. Here is how it works…… Step 2: Close Pop Up Window
Your computer may ask you to install drivers or do other setup. You can click cancel or close the window.
Step 1: Plug in USB
Small side of USB cable plugs into Makey Makey, big side plugs into computer.
Step 3: Connect to Earth
Connect one end of an alligator clip to “Earth” on the bottom of the front side of Makey Makey.
Step 4: Hold the metal part of the other end of the alligator clip between your fingers. You are now “grounded”.
Step 5: Connect Stuff
Now you could try making drums out of anything. What about a banana cowbell, a watermelon bass drum or a crash symbol sound when high fiving a friend?
(JoyLabz LLC, 2016)

9. Click on picture to access game
(PrimaryGames Inc, 2016)
Step 1: Let’s get the students knowledge ready for Makey Makey. Involve the students in playing a game that uses only the keyboards arrows such as the one above, allowing them to become familiar with it.
Step 2: You could then request students to draw the commands (arrows) for the game on a piece of paper – as demonstrated on YouTube video on the previous slide.
Step 3: Connect the Makey Makey to a computer and use the alligator clips to connect to the hand drawn on paper commands.
Step 4: Students could be extended to experiment with using playdough or foil on the floor

10. Evaluation of Makey Makey
At this point, you could have the students reflecting on their learning of Makey Makey and what other uses it may have.
Here is an example of questions you could ask:
Remembering – Draw a diagram to explain how Makey Makey works
Understanding- List what could stop Makey Makey from working?
Applying – Can you think of other objects that may work with Makey Makey? What programs could you use them with?
Creating – How could you test your ideas?
(Villis, 2014)

11. Here are some YouTube clips of different Makey Makey uses and Demonstrations. This will expose students to the different type of materials that can be conductors of electricity, which they will experiment with further in the final task.

12. Assessment Piece
Step 1: Working in pairs or small groups, students can collect a range of materials/objects and sort into two groups – Conductors and Non-conductors of electricity (for Makey Makey).
Step 2: Students need to give reasoning for their sorting.
Step 3: Students needs to test their materials by connecting with Makey Makey to examine their predictions.
Step 4: State what did and did not work and why if different from predictions.
Step 5: Using the knowledge gained from the experiment and the examples on YouTube, the group is to come up with their own idea for Makey Makey – first designed on paper and then created in physical form. Photos can be taken at each stage to create a digital storyboard of the creation.

13. References
Allain, R. (2011, May 1, 2016). Light bulb, battery, and two wires. YouTube. Retrieved May 1, 2016 from
Brain Box. (2013, May 1, 2016). Brain Box Electronic - Over 500 Exciting Experiments. Retrieved May 1, 2016 from
HomeScience. (2010, May 1, 2016). Snap Circuits: Fun and Safe Electricity Projects. YouTube. Retrieved May 1, 2016 from
Hubber, P., & Kirkwood, V. (2007). Shining a light on electricity. In K. Skamp (Ed.), Teaching primary science constructively. (3rd ed., pp ). South Melbourne, Vic: Thomson Learning Australia.
JoyLabz LLC. (2016). Makey Makey Classic How To. Makey Makey, Retrieved May 1, 2016, from
PrimaryGames Inc. (2016, May 4, 2016). Jumping Arrows. PrimaryGames Inc,. Retrieved May 4, 2016 from
Silver, J. (2012, May 1, 2016). MaKey MaKey - An Invention Kit for Everyone. YouTube. Retrieved May 1, 2016 from
Villis, J. (2014). Y5-6 Forces and Electricity Teaching Ideas. SlideShare. Retrieved from