Build A Circuit Using Christmas Lights!
Ok, Christmas is over and the lights are down, that doesn’t mean that they have no use until next year! While I mostly share learning activities for younger kids, this one is more suitable for primary and high school students. This is a STEM activity, in that it includes the use of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is a great learning opportunity that is sure to “brighten” up the atmosphere in the classroom.
Most of us have a set of Christmas lights that are wound up in a mess, not functioning properly. Before chucking them out, give this experiment a go with the kids! This is an excellent way to demonstrate how circuits work and how energy flows. So, round up the little masterminds and DO SOME SCIENCE!
LIGHT UP THOSE CIRCUITS!
Did I mention that the material needed for this nifty “trick” are super affordable! I am sure you already have everything you need stored in your cupboards. HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- Some sheets of cardboard to use as a platform
- Sticky tape
- Tin foil
- Brass fasteners
- Scissors
- A 9-volt battery
- A string of Christmas lights
Instructions:
- Using scissors, snip the lights off the string so that there is about 3cms of cable on each side of the light.
- Then, very gently, strip some of the plastic from the end of the cables, like so:
- Cut your foil into strips, varying in length.
- Place your lights on to the cardboard and then connect them using your strips of foil, leaving two gaps, one for the switch using brass fasteners and one for the battery. Stick the foil down with tape, ensuring that it touches the exposed wires of the lights.
- You can set your circuit up any which way you like, as long as it connects to the battery and switches. Use the image below as an example:
Source Link: https://nittygrittyscience.com/stem-activity-holiday-light-circuits/
You can accompany this experiment with the following explanation on how circuits work:
An electric circuit is an unbroken path along which an electric current exists and/or is able to flow. A simple electrical circuit consists of a power source, two conducting wires (one end of each being attached to each terminal of the cell), and a small lamp to which the free ends of the wires leading from the cell are attached.When the connections are made properly, the circuit will “close” and current will flow through the circuit and light the lamp. - https://www.bulbs.com/learning/circuit.aspx
Looking for ideas to grab your student's attention and actually get them to learn something, give this a go, you won't be disappointed! I remember as a kid my dad did a similar activity with me where a little alarm sounded when the wires were connected, I was about 8 years old and from that moment on I knew all about circuits and how electricity works!
Great art
right on! nice work!