Guide

www.SquishyCircuits.com Page 18
Applicable Vocabulary:
Schematic
Main Objective:
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to
1. Combine a series and a parallel circuit using a single battery pack
2. Create a schematic using component symbols that represent their circuits.
Materials:
Insulating dough (roughly 1 cup per pair of students)
Conductive dough (roughly 2 cups per pair of students)
1 battery pack with four (4) AA batteries
At least three light emitting diodes
Optional: motors, switches, fans, and buzzers
Student science journal or provided handout
Time:
Pair students and hand out materials: 5 minutes
Instruction: 10 minutes
Design: 15 minutes
Data recording: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Instructor Procedure:
1. After students have been divided into pairs or trios, provide each student with the materials
listed above
2. Encourage students to participate in a class-wide conversation:
a. How could you write down your circuit to share with a classmate who hasn’t seen it
before?
b. What if we used symbols for each component?
c. Explain each schematic symbol by drawing on the board.
3. Challenge students to create a circuit that uses a series and parallel circuit
4. Spend time wandering the classroom to identify student misunderstandings, comprehension,
and answer questions as well as ask questions. Provide guidance as you see fit.
5. Bring the class together. Invite a few groups to share.
6. Instruct class to create a scene where each student is given an object to create. The objects can
be assigned or open-ended. Challenge students to use multiple components arranged in both
series and parallel. Have them capture the schematic in their journals.
7. Share with the class!