This is one of my all-time favorite lessons to do during our electricity and magnetism unit! It is such an engaging way to get the kids working with circuits. You’ll need the supplies pictured below for each student. Students can share a circuit set, if you don’t have one for each child.
You can grab the Circuit Quiz Board printable {HERE}. Make sure to print this on card stock. You can also cut a lot of the tin foil strips very easily and quickly using a paper cutter. Or depending on their age, your students can simply cut their own strips with scissors; just make sure they are as close as possible to 1/2 inch wide.
Have the students hole punch on the circles with the dotted lines.
Students can choose any topic they like to create a 6 question quiz. The example shown below is based on the “energy pyramid.” Other possible topics are “Mohs hardness scale,” “cell structures” etc. You can have students look through their science or social studies textbooks for topics and questions/answers. On the back of the quiz board have students connect the correct holes with 6 different colored markers/crayons; This step is important, because it can get a bit confusing when it’s time to tape down tin foil strips.
The next step is to start taping down the tin strips. They need to be taped down one by one over the colored lines. Students must make sure that the entire hole is covered with foil and that the entire foil strip is insulated with masking tape (see picture below). The foil should not go beyond the edge of the game board. Students will need to test each strip with a circuit. To test their strips the students will need an open circuit with a light bulb. I like using 3 alligator clips to make the open circuit. Then students will simply touch the tips of the open circuit ends to the exposed circles of tin foil, and if everything is assembled correctly, the bulb will light up.
The finished product
Once students are finished testing and taping, they can trade game show cards with classmates and complete each other’s quizzes. Each student (contestant) can provide feedback for the quiz on the table attached to the quiz.
