Electric Circuits

• Taking Apart Electrical Appliances - An excellent reference that investigates "How do appliances work?". This site provides cross-references regarding careers, vocabulary, and a guide to electrical components.
  http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/appliances.html
• Make Your Own Burglar Alarm - This site is first rate. Not only is the lesson age appropriate, the directions are very easy to follow, and schematic diagrams supplement the project.  This lesson is a great way to supplement the book, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Clearly.
  http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/burglar.html
• Battery Life -- A Science Experiment
  http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/projects/projects-html/battery.html
• Make Your Own Lightning -  This lesson plan demonstrates how to manufacture lightening in the classroom using a fork and a metal spoon.
  http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/projects/projects-html/lightning.html
• Ultra-simple Electric Generator - The children are able to construct an inexpensive electric generator which is capable of lighting a tiny light bulb. Materials include a hollow ended cardboard box, wire, and magnets. When the nail and magnets are spun fast by hand, the little light bulb lights up dimly.
  http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/coilgen.html

• Fruity Electricity - "Frankenstein's lab is running out of electricity and Igor has asked you to help him find a temporary source of energy to get a single light for the good doctor. His blood-shot eyes stare into yours as he begs for your help. That's when you spot the bowl of fruit. Can fruit help Igor make electricity?"
  http://www.miamisci.org/af/sln/frankenstein/fruity.html

• Stripped Down Motor - Designing an electrical motor can be simple using this experiment. Not only does it provide easy to read and use directions, but a photograph and diagram of the completed project.
  http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/stripped_down_motor.html
• Electricity and Electronics - Extensive website that links you to other resources. Excellent graphics and diagram Rob Coles, UK
  http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/trinity/elec2.html
• Science Fair Central: Jake's Attic - This site is part of the Discovery Channel and mainly deals with static electricity. Although the kit does not specifically cover static electricity, it is important for the students to be aware of this aspect of electricity.
  http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/jakesattic/index.html
• Electricity -  Encarta Encyclopedia article.  We really like this site. It provides the teacher with an extensive background about electricity but also has access to some dynamic photos of static electricity, lightening, and several other sources. The photos can be printed on transparency film and viewed on an overhead projector.
  http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=03AEF000
• The Gateway To Educational Materials -  "The key to one-stop, any-stop access to high quality lesson plans, curriculum units and other education resources on the Internet!
  http://www.thegateway.org/
  This site is unbelievable. Below is a list of some relevant topics to search for: 

Attracting Balloons Electricity, Electricity Everywhere, How Much Electricity Do We Use?, Electrical Heroes, Making an Electrical Circuit,  Static Electricity, Electric Cars,  Theater of electricity, Electricity Questions,  Brown Bag Science, Benjamin Franklin, Communication, Power Failure, Find the Source of Power, Electrical Safety Preparedness Kit, Power Failure, Static!, Beakman's Electric Motor, Static Electricity, Electronic Mapping, Understanding: Electricity, Alexander Graham Bell's Patent for the Telephone and Thomas Edison's Patent for the Electric Lamp, Experimenting with Static Cling, A Hair Raising Experience