Explore Electricity Kit

Students are given a scenario where a cyber attack has shut down the nations electrical grid. To provide light during the blackout, students work in teams to create a flashlight. Using the engineering design process as a guide, students research concepts related to electricity, brainstorm flashlight designs, build, and test their own flashlight. Students explore concepts of atoms, electrons, conductors, insulators, power sources, chemical energy, electrical energy, electrochemical cells, anodes, cathodes, ions, anions, cations, voltaic pile, voltage, and circuitry. This kit contains enough materials for 10 groups. Flashlight housings are not included but can be made from cardboard chip cans, plastic containers, plastic drink bottles, plastic bats, plungers, flower pots, and other items that are not made out of metal and therefore could not become a conductor. Access to curricula materials can be found at http://www.nicerc.org.

Materials in this kit include: foam cups, foam bowls, red LEDs, alligator clips, pennies, 9V batteries and battery clips, switches, 5V lamps, multimeters, zinc washers, masking tape, aluminum foil, and salt.

WARNING: Choking Hazard. Small Parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.