The Electricity Invention Kit
The Electricity Invention Kit explores the foundations of electricity and circuits through a historical and engineering lens. Edison’s inventions and those of many other inventors were made possible by discoveries about electrical relationships. Many researchers contributed to these discoveries. Georg Ohm conducted experiments that established basic electrical relationships among electrical resistance, current, and voltage. These findings are today known as Ohm’s Law. Student projects will emphasize the underlying scientific concepts of Ohm’s Law, a foundational relationship in circuits. What are the essential properties of circuits? What are the relationships between these properties? Students will explore these questions and then apply this knowledge to complete a design challenge.
Teacher Guide
The teacher guide contains lesson plans for each kit and activity. In addition, materials, sourcing, tools, and CAD files for fabricating the kits are also included.
Go to Teacher Guide
Unit Sequence
| Activities | Essential Questions |
|---|---|
| Lab 1: Basic Lighting Circuits | How is a basic circuit constructed using a battery and wires to light an LED? |
| Lab 2: Adjusting the Brightness of an LED | How can you adjust the brightness of an LED with a resistor? |
| Make: Electrical Continuity Tester | |
| Lab 3: Electrical Meters | How do you measure resistance, current, and voltage? |
| Lab 4: Electrical Light Dimmers | What is the relationship between voltage, resistance, and current? (Ohm’s Law) |
| Invent: Electric Art |
Key Concepts & Skills
Concepts
- Conductivity
- Electricity
- Open/Closed Circuits
- Resistance
- Current
- Voltage
Skills
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
- Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
- Soldering
- Scientific Observations
- Journaling