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This activity was devised to provide an experiential, Next Generation Science Standards-based, Project-based, model lesson for preservice elementary teachers on how to design science lessons grounded in making and fabrication on the topic of Electronics.
Materials:
🔌 Basic Materials for Simple Circuit Lessons
Batteries (AA or coin cell – safe and easy to handle)
Battery holders (with leads)
LEDs (assorted colors)
Alligator clips (easy to connect components without soldering)
Resistors (optional, but useful for learning about current flow)
Small light bulbs and bulb holders (to explore different types of outputs)
Motors or buzzers (for engaging sensory feedback)
🧫 Conductivity Exploration
Play-Doh or homemade conductive dough
Insulating dough (sugar-based or store-bought modeling clay)
Aluminum foil and copper tape
Paper clips, coins, pencils (graphite) – for testing various materials
🎨 Creative Materials (for project-based learning)
Cardstock or cardboard (circuit cards or project base)
Tape (masking or clear)
Scissors
Markers and glue (for decorating or labeling)
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. Grade: 3-5, 4
Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.*. Grade: 3-5, 4
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Plan and deliver an informative/explanatory presentation on a topic that: organizes ideas around major points of information, follows a logical sequence, includes supporting details, uses clear and specific vocabulary, and provides a strong conclusion
How do you think digital fabrication improves the activity vs. utilizing traditional methods? What is the extra value?
Digital fabrication improves the activity by allowing the teacher to create custom tools that meet the specific needs of the students, making the learning experience more relevant and tailored. Unlike traditional methods where pre-made materials limit customization, digital fabrication empowers me to design and fabricate tools that support the immediate goals of the lesson. This adds significant value by making the process more student-centered and hands-on.
Furthermore, by being the fabricator of the materials, I gained a much deeper understanding of the holistic nature of science. For example, I came away with a stronger appreciation for the chemistry behind the materials used, particularly the insulating and conductive properties of the dough. Experimenting with the inclusion or exclusion of salts in the dough for different purposes gave me firsthand insight into how materials interact in a circuit. This process not only improved my teaching but also enhanced my ability to explain complex scientific concepts in a more tangible and accessible way for students.
What are some challenges you expect when you do the activity with your class?
One of the main challenges I anticipate is finding the time and opportunity for students to fully engage in the role of maker and engineer — especially if I want them to work through the design cycle process. This requires ample time for exploration, iteration, and problem-solving, which can be difficult to fit into a typical classroom schedule. Additionally, the role of dough and chemistry in the activity isn’t directly aligned with the standards I’m teaching, so integrating that might be a challenge for me as well.
When working with pre-service teachers, it can be especially tricky to get them to see the value in a multi-dimensional lesson. They might be more comfortable with straightforward, standard-aligned content, and the complexity of a lesson that blends different aspects of science and engineering might seem overwhelming. Striking a balance between engaging, meaningful hands-on activities and meeting standards can be a delicate act.
What did I learn in the process?
Through this process, I learned the value of hands-on, maker-centered learning and how it deepens students’ understanding of scientific concepts. By making the Squishy Circuits dough and fabricating tools, I gained a deeper appreciation for the chemistry behind materials, particularly conductivity and insulation. I also learned how the design cycle process requires students to experiment, fail, and iterate, which is crucial for their growth. Additionally, I realized the importance of balancing standards with multi-dimensional lessons, as this can be challenging but provides rich learning experiences that engage students more fully.
Describe the process that you went through to create the teaching aid. What did you learn during the fabrication process?
Making the Squishy Circuits dough and developing the fabrication process for the teaching aid taught me the importance of understanding the details of the materials I use in my lessons. I wanted to make rather than buy these materials so I could fully grasp the process and discuss it in a more meta way with my pre-service teachers. This hands-on approach allowed me to engage with the science behind the materials and circuits at a deeper level. It also helped me explain the engineering and fabrication process to students in a more informed and insightful way.
The purpose of the Engage phase is to tap into students’ prior knowledge and spark curiosity through puzzling or playful phenomena. In this case, using simple circuits or unfamiliar materials like conductive dough invites wonder and positions students as question-askers. It sets the tone for student-centered inquiry, encouraging them to explore rather than receive answers.
Begin by asking students to explore how electricity works in everyday life. Show a simple circuit using a battery and a light bulb, then introduce Squishy Circuits as a playful way to investigate conductivity and insulation. Spark curiosity by letting students handle the conductive and insulating dough without yet explaining how they work.
Introduce the project using pictures and videos about recent thunderstorms in our local area (Turlock, California). Facilitate conversations about students experiences in the storms and who had their power go out. Pose wonderings about whose job is it to get the power running for everyone in the community? Pose the last wondering about how students can better prepare for the future – and what knowledge and skills do they need to learn so they can be better prepared as electrical engineers.
This phase supports constructivist learning by giving students time and space to manipulate materials, test ideas, and experience the phenomena firsthand. Students build understanding through doing, making their own discoveries about conductivity and insulation without direct instruction. The teacher takes on a facilitator role, observing and guiding without interrupting the process of exploration
Students rotate through 4 short investigations, documenting predictions, observations, and explanations.
📝 Provide an Investigation Sheet for each station with room for diagrams, predictions, results, and reasoning.
Then they earn their engineering badge as teacher check off each task.
Facilitate direct instruction for related disciplinary terminology of electrical engineers. Electricity, circuits, parallel circuit, series circuit, conductor, & insulator.
First, these terms are built into the explore stage, use the terms in common discussions and in context. In the
Second, after students (preservice teachers) complete the explore stage, return to each of the identified discipline terminology and check with students about their ‘in context’ definitions to verify their conceptual understanding. Consider a special section in the electrical engineering notebook for a glossary – but keep it authentic. Make sure all students have a working definition before moving on.
Elaboration invites students to apply and extend what they’ve learned in new, creative contexts. This phase fosters problem-solving, design thinking, and iterative learning, often through open-ended challenges. It values student agency as learners take ownership over how they use scientific concepts to build, design, or explain something new. This is the hermeneutic part of the 5 E's lesson where the layer of experience is synergized with disciplinary terminology in a new context.
Backup Electrical System Project – Elementary Assignment
After a big thunderstorm in Turlock, the power went out and the lights went dark! It’s time to build a backup electrical system to restore power to your neighborhood. Follow the directions below to create your system and explain how it works!
Directions:
Evaluation in the 5E model isn’t just about checking for understanding—it’s about making student thinking visible. This stage emphasizes formative assessment, reflection, and metacognition, helping both students and teachers gauge growth over time. It values process over product, encouraging reflection on how ideas have changed through the activity.
Develop an Electrical Engineering Report
Use your creativity and think like an engineer! When you’re done, share your design and explanation with the class.
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