Description
Students establish relationships between voltage, current, and resistance by building multiple circuits and collecting data to understand Ohm’s law. Circuit diagram mats provide a visual step-by-step guide to building series and parallel circuits.
PE: HS-PS3-1, HS-PS3-2, HS-PS3-3
Time Requirement: Teacher’s preparation 30 minutes, investigation 60 minutes
Grades 9–12. Using breadboards and multimeters, students explore the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance by building circuits and analyzing them. Circuit diagram mats provide a visual step-by-step guide on how to build series and parallel circuits. Collecting data on multiple circuits, students generate a mathematical model of Ohm’s law.
Kit provides materials for 15 students, including a teacher’s manual, student guide, and free 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for the Next Generation Science Standards*. Activities build toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations: HS-PS3-1, HS-PS3-2, and HS-PS3-3. This kit is designed to integrate into a larger unit of lessons addressing wave mechanics, electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism.
Students also learn about Kirchhoff’s junction and loop rules. An additional extension allows teachers to adapt the kit for AP® Physics, high school engineering, and introductory college courses. Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s rules are foundational to any physics or engineering course that covers circuits.
*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
AP® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board®, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.