When I first started this blog, the intent was to share ideas, lessons and instructional strategies based on my developing knowledge of the Principle Approach. That faded pretty quickly and now I rarely share anything quite so concrete. Since I miss it and these sorts of things are supposed to be alliterative, I’m assigning you all to Saturday School, my very own, because-I-feel-like-it, bloggy thing.
This week’s project combines some rudimentary circuitry and any subject your child needs a little extra practice in. I would file this with my “Better Than Worksheets” instructional series on drill and practice had I ever created such a series.
The word circuit is obviously historically related to the word circle. Webster’s 1828 defines it thus:
The act of moving or passing round; as the periodical circuit of the earth round the sun, or of the moon round the earth.
Modern technology may have brought some more specific application to the world, but the meaning has not changed much. Circuitry allows electricity to travel around in a circle to do work. Here, we are going to make a simple circuit board that can serve to allow your child to practice any skill that can be answered in a yes/no or multiple choice format. In this case, it will be multiplying by four.
Materials:
file folder (with the open edge trimmed so both sides are th same size and shape)
hole punch
marker
masking tape
aluminum foil
circuit tester
- 1. Punch holes. You will need two rows of holes. One for each question and one for each answer.
- 2. Write the problems along one side and the possible answers on the other.
- 3. Open the folder. On the back side of the side you wrote the problems and solutions, lay a strip of foil between a problem and the correct answer. This is the basis of your circuit board. Fold the ends over the hole and make sure the hole is completely covered by the foil. Insulate with masking tape. Make sure none of the foil is showing on the back side.
- 4. Continue until all the answers are connected to their problems by a strip of aluminum foil insulated by masking tape. The back will look kind of messy, but that is ok. No one will see it, anyway.
- 5. Close the file folder. We do a set of problems on each flap, make the circuit board and then tape the folder closed. This helps protect the work.
- 6. Use the circuit tester to work the problems:
Oops. The circuit was not completed, so the tester did not light up. Try again!
Yeah! She got the problem right, the circuit was completed and the tester lit up.
Caution: When you look for a circuit tester, some contain lead. These are not intended as children’s toys. We searched and found one without lead, but still require our daughter to wash her hands after using it.
If you have shared a lesson this past week, feel free to leave the link in my comment box. This blog is actually a do-follow blog, meaning that links in comments are picked up by Google and Technorati if you care about that sort of thing.
[tags]homeschooling, homeschool, lesson, activities, math[/tags]
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Going to sow this to my kids–they would LOVE it.
show, even.
Clever. Very clever.
What a good idea! This is just the kind of practical inspiration I need right now.
I actually did write a post about a lesson this week. It is not so practical, but instead is a glimpse into my struggles to make creative lessons. http://reflective.homeschooljournal.net/2007/11/09/finding-life-in-dry-lessons/
Maybe this challenge will be just what I need. Are you going to do this every week?
Thank you, everyone!
And yes, Renae. That is the plan. I like to get ideas from other people and like to share them…so I thought this might be a nice way to do that without really changing the focus of my blog again.
Can I call in sick? I’m fighting the plague here. I’ll be sure to make up my homework.
Ok, just this once. Do you have a doctor’s note?
Awesome - we have a lot of circuit activities but I’ve never done one like that - my Scientist will love it!
Great! My second graders loved it when I taught. I did it on large index cards back then. Now my third grader is enjoying it!
What an awesome idea! I love it. I’m almost done homeschooling my girls. I can’t wait to start with my son so I can do cool things like this again!!!
Great, Linda! These kinds of projects are a lot of fun. I remember thinking, “Cool!” when I first learned it and couldn’t wait to use my new found knowledge for something. My daughter was only one and I wasn’t quite sure how to do it with a classroom full of kids. But the classroom full of kids were as amazed as my daughter is now.
And I feel like the cool mom who knows stuff!
That was absolutely brilliant, I can’t wait to try it out with my students!
I tried to complete the simple circuit board with my class but I could not get the circuit tester to light up. Could you please inform me of where I went wrong. We completed the following steps: First of all, we used a sheet of copy paper. Punched holes on both sides of the copy paper. Placed the questions on the left side of the paper next to the holes and the answer choices on the right side of the paper next to the other set of holes. We folded the ends of aluminum foil over the hole and made sure the holes were completely covered by the foil. We covered the foil with masking tape with none of the foil showing. However, the circuit tester did not light up! What did I do wrong? Please help.
Hmm…interesting. My first thought would be to try just putting the circuit tester on the foil without taping it down or anything. I’m thinking perhaps either your foil isn’t conducting or your tester isn’t working. Start there, and if that doesn’t lead anywhere, let me know and we’ll see if we can figure something else out.
This is terrific! Thanks for sharing it.
I am having the same problem as the lady above with the circuit tester not lighting up. If I put the tester onto a battery it lights up so i am thinking that it isn’t a problem with the tester..Is there a better type of foil that i should be using or is maybe the current is not powerful enough and the light inside the tester requiring more power?? can you please suggest something else that may help us?
thanks
thank you for your email to help us figure out where we were going wrong. Thanks to you we have sorted out the problem ( we were using a amp tester , not a circuit tester as you pointed out) It works great now and we are very appreciative of your help!!
Thanks again
Oh, wonderful! I was stumped, and I’m glad it worked for you!
That is not even a circuit that is just problems with possible answers. deffenitaly Not a circuit. If it was it would be far harder. Nice try though.
Not a circuit as i say again NOT A CIRCUIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A circuit is:
A closed loop of conductors through which charges can flow.
The conductor is the foil. The masking tape closes the loop. Hence it is a “simple circuit.”
If you would like to be helpful, please do.
Thanks for this post. I featured it on my site, http://teacheng.us, today (11/11/08).