Is it really mid-February already?  Where has the time gone?!  It’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog post, so this one will encompass the past couple months.  I post more frequently on Twitter if you want to check us out there.  You can follow @lynnspady, @wcsey66, and/or @Westgate66.

We spent the beginning of 2nd quarter looking at the basics of circuits.  This video explains the the basics of an electrical circuit and this video explains the difference between series and parallel circuits.  We looked at schematic drawings and studied the symbols for various components in a circuit.

images taken from http://www.clker.com/clipart-11203.html

After studying the drawings and symbols, it was time to move into Snap Circuit Kits.  Students also created a series and parallel circuit using actual light switches.  Check out some of the pictures and videos below!

Finally, students put their circuit skills into action by building a Bot Bot.  They earned components (LEDs, motor, coin battery, etc.) for their robot by completing current events. Check out their creations below!

Students will spend the remainder of 3rd quarter creating their very own Super Awesome Maker Show modeled after Sylvia’s Show.  Stay tuned!

In order to participate in the circuit mini-course with Mrs. Spady, please watch the following 2 videos and answer the questions on a separate piece of paper or email your answers to me.

Video 1:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EuYqj_0Uk

The numbers before the question tell you what time in the video when the question is answered.

1. 00:30-What component is represented by the jagged line in the diagram?  Choose One:  Battery, Resistor, or Diode
2. 00:40-If there is more than one loop that the electricity can take, what kind of circuit is it?  Choose One:  Series or Parallel
3. 02:59-What happens in a series circuit when another light bulb is added?  The light becomes  brighter or dimmer (Choose One)
4. 3:30-In order for a series circuit to work, all components need to be connected.  Choose One:  True or False
5. 04:13-Let’s say you’re using a 3 Volt battery and 2 lights in a series circuit.  One light measures 1.5 Volts.  What does the other one measure?  Choose One:  1.5 Volts, 3 Volts, 4.5 Volts
6. 06:15-What happens when you remove a light bulb from a parallel circuit that has 2 light bulbs?

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnpLaKsqGU

1. 00.38-What is the part of the light bulb that actually lights?  Choose One: Filament, Wire, or Electron
2. 00:58-What is flowing through this circuit (the tiny balls moving in the video)?  Choose One:  Protons, Neutrons, Electrons
3. 01:07-What would happen if the wire was not connected to the positive side of the battery?
4. 02:14-Electricity will follow the path of least resistance.  Choose One: True or False