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Simple Circuits: Making a Bulb Light Up

Fourth graders build understanding of electric circuits — how a battery, wires, and a bulb must form a complete loop for electricity to flow — and learn about switches, conductors, and insulators.

Grade 4Electricity45 minutes1 class period5E ModelExplicit teaching4 StandardsNGSS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain a complete circuit.
  • ✓Explain a switch.
  • ✓Explain conductors and insulators.
  • ✓Build a working circuit.
Essential Question

A battery, a wire, and a bulb — connect them just right and the bulb glows; connect them wrong and nothing happens. What makes electricity flow and light the bulb?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Circuit Check

Project each item and have students answer about circuits. The tool explains complete loops, switches, and conductors.

🔋 Understand simple circuitsTry it
Answer each question about circuits.
The Lesson · 5E Instructional Model (Engage · Explore · Explain · Elaborate · Evaluate)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Engage — On or Off?

5 min

Connect a battery, wire, and bulb right — it glows; wrong — nothing. Why?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a battery, wire, bulb.
  • Ask what makes it light.
  • Pose the question.

🎒 Student Actions

  • See the parts.
  • Wonder how.
  • Predict the idea.
2

Explore — Explore Circuits

12 min

Students investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Circuit Check.
  • Note the complete loop.
  • Note conductors.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer them.
  • Note the loop.
  • Note conductors.
3

Explain — Complete the Loop

12 min

Students explain.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain a complete circuit.
  • Explain switches.
  • Explain conductors/insulators.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain the loop.
  • Explain switches.
  • Explain conductors.
4

Elaborate — Build It

11 min

Students elaborate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Build a simple circuit.
  • Add a switch.
  • Test conductors.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Build one.
  • Add a switch.
  • Test materials.
5

Evaluate — Evaluate

5 min

Students conclude.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain a complete circuit.
  • Explain a switch.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Explain switches.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (Grade 4 / Elementary Science).

NGSS
4-PS3-2

Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by electric currents.

NGSS
4-PS3-4

Apply scientific ideas to design a device that converts energy.

NGSS
4-PS3-3

Predict outcomes of energy transfer.

NGSS
SEP-3

Planning and carrying out investigations.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Circuit diagram.
  • Sentence frame: “A circuit needs a complete ___.”
  • Build a real circuit.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “complete loop.”
  • Build a circuit together.
  • Focus on on/off.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Build series vs. parallel circuits.
  • Test many conductors.
  • Design a device.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🔋Batteries, wires, bulbs
  • 💻Circuit Check
  • 🔩Switches and materials
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

circuita path for electricity to flowcomplete circuitan unbroken loopbatterya source of electrical energyswitchopens or closes a circuitconductora material that carries electricityinsulatora material that blocks electricitycurrentthe flow of electricityenergythe ability to cause change
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What must a circuit be for electricity to flow?
Complete — an unbroken, closed loop.
QUESTION 2
What does a switch do in a circuit?
It opens or closes the circuit to stop or start the flow of electricity.
QUESTION 3
What is a conductor?
A material (like metal) that lets electricity flow through it.

Elaborate: conductor hunt.

Have students test everyday objects in a circuit to discover which are conductors (let the bulb light) and which are insulators. A printable circuits sheet is in the Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Simple CircuitsFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Simple CircuitsQuiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Simple CircuitsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: battery, circuit, complete circuit, conductor, current, energy, insulator, switch
  1. opens or closes a circuit
  2. the ability to cause change
  3. a path for electricity to flow
  4. an unbroken loop
  5. a source of electrical energy
  6. a material that carries electricity
  7. a material that blocks electricity
  8. the flow of electricity

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What must a circuit be for electricity to flow?
  2. What does a switch do in a circuit?
  3. What is a conductor?
Answer key — Part A: 1) switch · 2) energy · 3) circuit · 4) complete circuit · 5) battery · 6) conductor · 7) insulator · 8) current
Part B: 1) Complete — an unbroken, closed loop. 2) It opens or closes the circuit to stop or start the flow of electricity. 3) A material (like metal) that lets electricity flow through it.