College of Education

Lesson Plan Template-5E Design

Teacher Candidate: Chandler Hepler
Level: 4th Grade

Grade

Description of Lesson: The student will demonstrate an understanding of light

and electricity while forming circuits with 100% accuracy.

Lesson Title or Essential Question that guides the lesson: What

components are needed to make a complete circuit?
Curriculum Standards Addressed:

SC Curriculum Standard(s): 4-5: The student will demonstrate an

understanding of the properties of light and electricity.

SC Academic Indicator(s):
4-5.6: Summarize the function of the
components of complete circuits (including wire, switch, battery, and light
bulb).

Lesson Objective(s):

Assessment(s) of the
Objectives:

The students will demonstrate an understanding

of light and electricity while forming circuits with
100% accuracy.

Before: Ask students questions

regarding what they know about
circuits and electricity.
During: Discuss what the
students are doing successfully
and successfully to make their
circuit work. Discuss how they
could make it better.
After: Haves students draw a
picture of their circuit using the
symbols that they were given,
and ask them 3-4 question about
what they have learned.

Materials/Resources:

2 D-cell batteries
2 light bulbs (flashlight bulbs)
4 short wires (20 gauge, 15 cm, stripped on both ends)
Switch
Optional materials/resources for each group: 2 bulb holders, 1 cell holder, and
1 circuit base

Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): Students will need to have prior

knowledge of light and how it can be used as an energy source. The students
Revised 9/15/14

will also need to have basic knowledge of what a circuit is.

Procedures

Engagement:
Show the students the materials that they will be working with in class while
explaining to them what each things is. Have the students write down the
symbols that they need to know for this lesson. Then pose the students with
the question, can you use a battery to turn on the light bulb.
Exploration:
1. Divide the students into groups of 3 or 4 students.
2. Pass out the materials and then instruct the students to go ahead and
try to find a way to light the bulb. (Walk around and observe what the
students are doing).
3. Once the group has successfully lit their bulb they need to draw a
picture of what their circuit looks like and answer the following
questions. (Where did you connect the wires to the battery? Where did
you connect the wire to the light bulb? What happens when you touch
the wire to the glass part of the bulb?)
4. Explain to the students that the pathway that electricity flows from the
battery to the light and back to the battery is call a circuit. Notice
that their circuit looks like a circle, so they need to remember that
circuit has to be in a complete circle to allow electricity to flow.
5. Present the student with the task to light a light bulb with just one wire
and a battery.
6. Once the students get it to work, have them draw a picture of it and
draw arrows in the path that they think electricity flows.
Explanation: The students explain how they made their circuits and why
they work. I will probe them with questions, such as; what is the switch used
for? Is the D-cell a source of electricity? What part of the bulb gets hot and
produces electricity?
Elaboration: Students share out how they got the bulb to light up using only
one wire. Students will also discuss where they had to place the wires in order
for the bulb to light up, how the students knows that electricity is flowing if
they cannot see it.
Evaluation (Assessment): Students will draw a circuit using the symbols
that they learned and answer the questions on a sheet of paper related to
electricity.
1. How do you know when electricity is flowing in a bulb circuit?
2. How many wires connect to the battery, and where do they connect to
make a complete circuit?
3. How did you get the bulb to light with only one wire?
4. What shape does a circuit make?

Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications/Increases in Rigor
I divide the groups up so there was at least one GATAS student is each group. I did
this so the students that needed an extra push in the right direction would have it.
Revised 9/15/14

The students that needed extra help I will aid them by probing them with questions
that will help lead them in the right direction. For the students that this is too easy
for, they will find alternative ways to make a circuit and find other materials that
they can use as conductors around the classroom.

References:
www.s2temsc.org/k-8-science-lessons.html

Revised 9/15/14