Encourage your students to show you what they have learned about electricity with these six open-ended problem-solving challenges for mechanisms that use electricity. Collect the materials once and get hours of engagement from your students!
student planning pages (for individuals and groups).
self-assessment pages (for individuals and groups).
marking guide.
rubric for mechanisms, skills, attitudes, and group work.
a few hints to make modifications (without extra prep) for a variety of student needs.
photographs and diagrams of student examples.
a digital version with loose text that can be read by assistive technology.
Hints for marking strategies are included with examples. The "answers" to the challenges are not included as these tasks are meant to focus on the process, not the "answer."
These tasks require students to have access to electrical components to build circuits.
The challenges include:
Can You Make It Light?: Build a basic closed circuit. The concept is open and closed circuits.
Light My House: The concept is the use of resistors.
Build a Classroom Alarm: The concept is building a switch.
Light My Yard: The concept is parallel circuits.
The Wandering Student Alarm: The concept is building a switch.
The Two-Way Switch: The concept is building a two-way switch.
This resource has been classroom-tested with several groups of grade five students. It kept them VERY busy and challenged them. It's a classroom favourite!
This resource aligns with:
Alberta Program of Studies Grade 5 Science Electricity and Magnetism
This resource supports:
any basic electricity unit
Ninja Note: To access the digital version, download the PDF and click the link inside the file.
