University of Nevada, Reno

AbstractBy: Paul Waite Edited by: Sachin Mehta

The lack of student interest in engineering has increased at an alarming rate over the past years. While other world nations are maturing into more technologically advanced countries, American jobs are being outsourced and the United States economy is being threatened. For the United States to remain both competitive and innovative, science and engineering principles need to be taught on a much higher frequency.

The Simple Electrical Circuits demonstration is designed to increase adolescents’ interest in STEM education. STEM, a United States government acronym, refers to fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A short lecture introducing simple circuits and the fundamentals of electricity was given. Next, students were given the opportunity to create standard parallel and series light bulb circuits. The combination of an informative lecture and hands-on project is intended to produce an increased interest in engineering and mathematics. This project design is expected to procure at least a 20% increase in STEM interest for sixth graders. The Simple Circuits demonstration will be a broad approach to increasing student interest in science and engineering. The youth who become more intrigued in science after completing this project will likely perform better in technical classes and hopefully choose to pursue a STEM career.

IntroductionBy: Kevin Vees

The problem statement revolves around the problem with the current school curriculum and how those issues can be addressed. The design concept for the project is then discussed. This section details the group’s plans for the project and what materials are required. Following this, the literature search section looks into what previous experiments have been done and what the outcome of those experiments was. The methods of project implementation will detail specifics of the Simple Circuits project. The instruction manual will then be discussed. This will demonstrate how the experiment is done from start to finish. Finally, the project management reveals information about the team which will help meet all overall goals, deadlines, individual tasks, as well as the team charter. The marketing section will be discussed next. Marketing explains how the Simple Electrical Circuit project can be marketed to any school system. The experimental analysis will then delve into the aftermath of the project, and will determine what went well as well as what can be worked on.

Problem StatementBy: Kevin Vees

Technology is quickly taking over the world. Whether it is a new cell phone upgrade every year or a simple computer upgrade, technology drives nearly everything in the modern world. Unfortunately, this technology does not invent itself. There will always be a need for engineers to develop new technologies in the world. Whether it is that new sophisticated computer that just came out, or simply heating up some leftover food in a microwave, electrical equipment affects everyone. Anything that is plugged into a wall socket or runs off batteries has some sort of circuit in it that was designed by an electrical engineer. Since engineers are so important in today and tomorrow’s world, it is odd that they are so rare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “of the 3.2 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2010, about 2.2 million (68.1 percent) were enrolled in college in October 2010” [Bureau of Labor Statistics, website]. Out of those 2.2 million students that continue their education, the United States only contributes about 70,000 new engineers a year [CS Monitor, website]. That means that out of those 2.2 million students that go to a college, an unbelievable 3.18% turn out to be engineers. In order to put this number in perspective, Fig. 1 visually shows how small that percentage is.

Ratio of engineers versus college at-tendees

Students at-tending college after highschoolEngineering graduates

Fig. 1: United States College Undergraduates.

The reason for the low level of engineering graduates is debatable, but the K-12 curriculum suggests that this is due to the lack of engineering experience that these students actually get. An adolescent student could likely graduate from high school without knowing that engineering is a possible career path, let alone which engineering field would best suit that person. The fact that a

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high school graduate might not know about engineering as a possibility impacts that student’s future directly, and it affects the whole society. There is no doubt that engineering is an in-demand field, and is necessary to further the world’s technology. Without having these engineers to develop new technology, it simply does not get invented.

Another primary issue with the world is the fact that other countries such as China and India are taking the market for higher level education jobs such as engineering. Table 1, provided by Times Higher Education, shows that the top five universities in the world for engineering and technology are located in the United States. These leading universities show that the United States has an excellent understanding of engineering; therefore there is no reason why U.S. citizens should not be able to pursue a career in engineering.

Table 1: Top five engineering universities in the world.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to involve the students with more engineering projects. These students need to get hands-on experience with different types of experiments that will let them explore the possibilities of their future. This is what the simple electrical circuit project aims to do. Using the simplest form of electrical engineering, the students will be introduced to not only electrical engineering itself, but to engineering as a whole. The objective is to get the students interested in engineering due to the extensive hands-on experiments that will be performed. These experiments, though at times are difficult, can prove to be very fun and rewarding. An attempt to make a fun and immersive experience for these students will be made so that they will pass this information on to their friends or parents and will overall be influenced to look into the engineering field.

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Design ConceptBy: Sachin Mehta

The planned visit to Ms. Lenesha Marbury’s classroom is intended to create a fondness for engineering amongst the younger generation. With a project in mind that entails intermediate math, conceptual ideas, and the use of somewhat sophisticated equipment not just any audience could have been selected. With careful consideration, the team chose to present to the young sixth grade scholars who attend Anderson Elementary School in Reno, NV. Recognizing that young students can be easily distracted, an exciting and intriguing lesson plan is formulated in order to hold their attention. However, amusement cannot be unaccompanied during the visit to the classroom. An underpinning of engineering and the sciences will be introduced, studied, and practiced. Table 2 displays the approximate amount of time that will be spent discussing various principles related to electricity and circuitry.

With a limited amount of time and a great many students with which to work with, only underlying electric phenomena with basic applications can be selected for the curriculum. Learning how to construct a simple circuit and illuminate a light bulb while understanding the theory behind the procedure is the main purpose of the classroom visit. In order for younger generations to be interested in math and science, their curiosity has to be stimulated at a very young age. In fact, America’s competitive edge depends on an educational system able to provide younger citizens with a background in mathematics and science [National Science Foundation, website]. These types of articles give light to the realization that certain measures need to be taken in order to keep that competitive edge in the United States. The hope for the classroom visit is that discussing electricity—a fundamental building block of this planet—can and will help in captivating the young students.

Table 2: Original Lesson Plan and Essential Concepts

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The main demonstration will involve a comparison between parallel and series circuit networks. By connecting a bulb (of yet to be determined power) to the batteries, the students will see firsthand how the voltage and current in an electric circuit can vary so greatly by a change in the arrangement of those same batteries. By arranging two nine volt (V) batteries in series the voltage rating will double, while the amp hours (current) will not change. When connecting two of the batteries in parallel the voltage will not change, however, the amp hours (current) will double. A diagram comparing these two principles is shown in Fig. 2 [Electric Circuits, website]. Common terminology such as: “load”, “source”, “path”, and their respective definitions will be described to the students in order to familiarize them with these everyday phenomena. Additionally, the application of Kirchhoff’s laws will be portrayed because of their relative simplicity. Kirchhoff’s voltage law states: the sum of the voltages around a closed loop equal zero. On the other hand, Kirchhoff’s current law is defined as the sum of the currents entering a specific node is equivalent to the sum of currents leaving that same node. Although these two fundamental theorems are usually taught to students at the high school and university level, their application to simple circuits is substantial. For example, after the students construct their very own circuits and a voltmeter measures the actual voltage, they will be able to analyze their circuit with Kirchhoff’s voltage law and compare the two numerical values. By doing this, students can grasp another topic engineers cope with every day: experimental error.

Fig. 2: Batteries connected in series versus parallel.

Stipulations that will apply when working with the young students include, first and foremost, acquiring a parent/legal guardian signature that allows the student in question to handle possibly dangerous equipment. Although injury is highly unlikely during the exercise, precautionary measures such as obtaining signature forms is imperative for the school’s sake and the instructors themselves.

The first task on the agenda after arriving at the school will include a brief overview of safety protocols. For example, a current of only 50 milliamperes (mA) can cause respiratory arrest, extreme pain, and extremely severe muscle contractions [Princeton University, website]. No

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material will be handed out until the completion of the safety review. By separating the class into groups of three, the monitoring and assisting will become a great deal easier. To begin, each group will be given all the appropriate materials. The students will need to use the concepts discussed beforehand to engineer their own circuits and apply the voltmeter/ammeter to measure their respective elements. In order to further demonstrate principles, mathematical formulas relevant to circuit analysis will be used. Equation (1) describes Ohm’s Law, a fundamental theorem of electricity.

V=IR (1)

Additionally, important persons who have been influential in the study of electricity will be examined including Andre Ampere, George Ohm, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. Important elements will be pointed out, such as the fact that electrical history goes back long before Christ and individuals such as Ampere were instrumental in improving existing theories and naming terminology [Electrical Code, website]. Delving in to the history of electricity and the people behind the principles will be an important and enthralling topic, in the hopes that the students gain a broader spectrum of knowledge.

Literature Search By: Hans Meyer

Introducing students to engineering fundamentals is routinely accomplished with the study and implementation of basic electric circuits. Generally, students will build simple circuits using a battery, wires, and light bulbs. This allows the examination of how electricity is conducted through a light bulb using a battery as a power source. Students will also able to observe the differences between a series circuit and parallel circuit by building each type of circuit.

The projects in the past demonstrate the use of parallel and series circuits with only one battery and multiple lights such as Christmas lights. The procedure starts by connecting a 6V alkaline battery into a simple circuit made of multiple light bulbs. The light bulbs are configured into parallel and serial circuits and the students are shown the difference between the two simple circuits [Teach Engineering, website]. The simple circuit is shown in Fig. 3.

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Fig. 3: Simple circuits demonstrated with multiple light bulbs [Comparing Parallel Series Circuits, website].

In the planned lesson, simple circuits will be demonstrated with more than one power source, most likely 9 V batteries. The students will still use a light bulb in sacrifice of Christmas lights described in the previous teachings of this lesson; regular incandescent light bulbs will be used. Basic computer fans will also be included to demonstrate the difference in current and voltage between circuits in parallel and series. Additionally, the students will be asked to hypothesize on the outcome of each device used to demonstrate the principle. To allow the students to use their and develop their reasoning skills, the students will be divided into groups after hearing the lecture that will be provided. Each group will receive the same materials, schematic, and explanation of the circuits used as shown in Fig. 4. Students will be asked to commit to one answer with the help of the equations behind the principle. Moreover, rewards will be given to those that correctly answer which bulb will stay illuminated the longest.

Fig. 4: Schematic given to the students.

The planned lesson allows for plenty of deviation as well. While the plan is to teach the students about circuits with multiple batteries, the demonstration of multiple light bulbs arranged in series and parallel can also be fulfilled. In conclusion, this lesson plan allows the students to be taught in a more fulfilling manor with multiple demonstrations, interactive approach, and the testing and forming of deductive reasoning from the students.

MethodsBy: Paul Waite

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Fig.5: Complex circuit example

CriteriaIn order to assure project contrivance, three success points were established: the material chosen for the demonstration must reinforce the current curriculum of the class, students show interest and enthusiasm for STEM education, and that all participants have fun.

Students will be using batteries, wires, and bulbs to complete their circuits; they must know, at a minimum, the role that each component takes in a circuit. Students are introduced to electricity as early as Kindergarten; by the fifth grade, they should be able to identify the necessary circuit elements and combine them to make a complete circuit (WCSD, website). The design project is most suitable for sixth graders in Washoe County because the circuit elements are a review topic and the circuit layouts are generally new information.

The demonstration is designed for students and should therefore maintain high levels of student interest. To keep sixth graders' attention, sufficient time must be spent interacting with the circuitry elements. The largest amount of class time is to be spent building circuits. During this time, it is important to allow for student creativity; the design entails that students build their own completed circuits using the materials combined from two groups. This portion of the demonstration will provide students with an experience that builds confidence. Fig. 5 shows an example circuit that two groups can make with the materials provided. Students should be encouraged to experiment with a number of circuit arrangements as time allows.

Testing ProcedureStudent groups will design the assigned circuits in small groups. Student success is assessed by verifying that the circuit layout is correct and establishing that the circuit is completed. Throughout the construction phase, student circuits are periodically checked for completion; once a group has completed the assigned circuits, they are free to build their own circuit design. To establish success for this phase, the criteria is that circuits can use the supplies of two groups and that the circuit must be complete and each bulb be lit.

Classroom SetupSetup for the demonstration is minimal; however, there are a few important steps to take for success. The supplies for each group are readied before the start of the demonstration, this will

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reduce down time and keep student interest levels high. Appendix A contains a list of the supplies for needed for each group. During the introduction, students are briefed on circuit diagrams. When students build series and parallel circuits, Appendix A is used to display the respective diagrams. Most importantly, before students are allowed to use any of the materials provided, they must be informed about what general safety precautions to take when handling these equipments. Appendix A lists these safety precautions for students to review before using the provided materials. Being prepared for the demonstration requires detailed review of all information in Appendices A and B.

Instruction ManualBy: Hans Meyer

The detailed instruction manual is in Appendix B. To begin, the required materials for the instruction of the lesson are shown in Table 3 along with a total projected cost. The budget projected is for enough materials for 8-10 groups and comes to a total amount of about $45. If the lesson plan is to be repeated, many parts can be reused, the wire being the most acceptable one. Therefore, the total cost can be regarded as a nominal fee with few maintenance costs.

Table 3: Shows a budget of the lesson plan.

Item Price9 Volt Batteries (10) $20Battery Connectors (10) $6Light bulbs (22) $11Wire (20’ spool) $7Total $44

To begin the lesson, the facilitator must provide an appropriate atmosphere that allows the students to learn the basics behind simple circuits. If the facilitators are not confident with their competence of simple circuits, the internet can be used an additional aid [Engineering Interact, website].The facilitator should provide a sketch of the two different circuits to be built shown in Appendix B. When providing the sketches, a simple lesson involving voltage should also be provided. It is suggested that the facilitator should attempt to openly quiz the students by asking questions such as what will happen to the light bulbs in the different arrangements. At this time, a quick discussion of safety should be clearly communicated. Once the classroom has a basic understanding of the circuits and safety, the facilitator should demonstrate the capability of the battery to power a single bulb. After the demonstration, the materials should be distributed to the groups, and the students should be given approximately 20 minutes to build the two circuits. A complete timeline of events is in Table 4 for a time efficient lesson. This lesson will demonstrate an important and fundamental aspect of electrical engineering if carried out appropriately. The hands-on experience will help to stimulate and inform the students better.

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Table 4: Shows an agenda for a time efficient lesson.

Activity Time Spent (Minutes)Preparing Wires 5Grouping Materials 5Lesson Plan 15Circuit Building 25Ending Discussion 5Clean Up 5Total 70

Project Management By: Paul Waite

SchedulingUpon assignment of the proposal project, the group designed an approach that includes four stages of teamwork leading to a completed avocation: formation, brainstorming, normalizing, and performance.

In the formation stage, the group was given a task and then converted into a team. After this, the first team meeting took place; during this meeting group roles were decided upon and relevant past experience was discussed.

The group's second meeting was where brainstorming began. The goal was to decide upon a topic for the proposal assignment. However, in order to properly make group designations, it was first necessary to discuss how decisions will be made. Using an open idea forum, possible outcomes were discussed and freely elaborated upon. After the time was up, team members wrote down their top three choices from the earlier forum. The team rejoins and compares lists. The most frequent responses were taken to a small three item poll and voted upon to obtain a final decision. Using this method, the team decided on a project that teaches fundamental electrical concepts and circuitry.

With roles and a clear objective distinguished, the team was able to move forward to the normalizing stage. Normalizing is where team members produce a single product from many smaller parts. Each team member has contributed different content to the final proposal, this content was pieced together and made into a single, cohesive work. This process includes peer review and team unification for a presentation given which summarizes the group's proposal.

During the performance phase, team members were not in deliberation; the team was focused and each member completed a given task. The pinnacle of the performance phase was the

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delivery of the circuits presentation to a class of sixth grade students. This phase receded into another group presentation summarizing the outcome of the demonstration.

Fig. 6 is the team's Gantt Chart. This plot provides the general time frame of completion for stages of the project. Formation and brainstorming tasks are connected with a solid line and circle endpoints, normalizing tasks by the solid arrow tipped lines, and performance tasks have a dotted line with circle endpoints.

Fig. 6: Gantt Chart

MaterialsThe proposed project requires one spool of light weight electrical wire, about 15 small lamps, and 15 9V batteries with connectors. Table 5 demonstrates the approximate total cost of the materials that need to be purchased. Prices listed are relative to the current market [Radioshack, website]. The original estimated total in Table 5 was shown to be a great over estimation; the final cost was significantly less than $100 dollars. Ordering the supplies from the internet reduced the cost to only $44 dollars.

Table 5: Approximate Costs.Material Price

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Spool of wire (x2)

$5

Small lamp (x15)

$25

9 Volt battery and connector (x15)

$70

Total $100

ResourcesDuring the formation stage, a team charter was designed to help focus the future work of the team. Before completing any proposal related the task, the team decided upon a few key points: first and foremost group members agreed to be committed and produce the best work possible, also the group placed heavy emphasis on promoting engineering to young students, finally the group agreed that the majority of work will be completed with all group members present or in a meeting format.

The makeup of this group is complemented by each member's skills, background, and personality [Holland Personality, website].

Kevin Vees is a junior of Electrical Engineering. Kevin has a social personality which is vital to group function. Kevin's positive attitude toward problems and assignments has repeatedly shown to motivate other group members into display the same trait.

Hans Meyer is a senior of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Hans has a realistic personality type. Being present tense oriented, Hans helps keep the group on track by structuring and sometimes deciphering group plans into a goal that is attainable.

Sachin Mehta is a junior of Electrical Engineering. Sachin displays an enterprising personality. He consistently offers new ideas for how to improve and differentiate team stratagem. Sachin has been known to provide clever solutions to problems that other team members did not know existed.

Paul Waite is a junior of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Paul is investigative; he typically will analyze a problem and note each detail that is relevant to solving that problem. When planning, this is particularly helpful because some ideas proved to be too complicated to complete.

MarketingBy: Kevin Vees

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AcceptabilityThe Simple Electrical Circuit project is designed for students in the lower end of the K-12 spectrum of school. Introducing this simple engineering concept to students by hands-on experiments will boost the kinesthetic learner’s interest as well as the understanding for the subject. This experiment also appeals to the auditory learners because there will be a pre-experiment lecture prior to the students getting their hands on the materials. Visual learners will also be able to learn from this experiment because the experiment will be demonstrated using pictures and analogies of physical objects, such as how a circuit works similarly to a water hose.

The supplies needed are as follows: 20 9-Volt batteries, 20 battery clips, and 10 light bulbs. These materials can be very expensive if purchased at a local shop; however, if researched properly and purchased online, the price can be reduced by over half. Ultimately, this brought the cost of this experiment from very expensive, to very affordable. The cost for this experiment is $44 making it an affordable experiment when split between group members. If this were done by a single person, it could prove to be a bit “pricy” depending on that individual’s budget. The operating cost for this experiment is only time, considering all supplies being used are self-powering.

AdaptabilityThe Simple Electrical Circuit project was initially implemented for a sixth grade level. This experiment can be altered to fit any K-12 classroom, and it can even go as far as to be appropriate for a college level classroom without purchasing any additional supplies. For students below sixth grade, the experiment would have to be pre-built for the students, and the students would not be allowed to experiment freely with the batteries. This would remove any possibilities of the students not getting the experiment to work and allow the students to get a working circuit by simply plugging in the battery to the holder.

For students above a sixth grade level, the students would be required to use mathematical equations to calculate the current and voltage in the circuit. Different batteries could also be used with different light bulbs to see the difference in the circuit. This would allow the students to apply their current knowledge and get closer to how an engineer would analyze a circuit on the job. For college level students, the experiment would be relatively the same; however, the students would be asked to solve for various variables such as the luminance of the light bulb being used.

K-12 Curriculum

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The concepts applied in the Simple Electrical Circuit project fit into the K-12 curriculum for all of Reno, NV and Northern Nevada. Table 6 summarizes what students learn in the K-12 system, going into detail that students of nearly any age will have a basic understanding of how circuits work. Students are first introduced to the simplest circuit in Grades 3-5. The students will understand how to organize an electrical circuit using a battery or generator, wire, or complete loop through which electrical current can pass. In Grades 6-8, the students will have improved the knowledge of electrical circuits to a level of understanding the means of transferring electrical energy to produce heat, light, sound, and chemical changes. The next level of electrical circuitry is taught in Grades 9-12 and teaches the students how electricity is transferred from generating sources for consumption and practical uses.

The sixth grade students that will be participating in the experiment are at a perfect level for the subject that will be taught. The students will have a basic understanding of how a circuit loop works, which will be the foundation for this experiment. Additionally, this experiment allows the students to take what they have already learned out of the textbooks and apply it to a real world situation. This experiment will be rewarding for the participants and will “kick start” the student’s interest in the engineering field, and overall create an interest to enter the field of engineering. Appendix C demonstrates an advertisement for the Simple Electrical Circuit project. This advertisement can be used to market this project to any K-12 classroom.

Table 6: Students are introduced to electrical circuits at nearly every grade level[Washoe County School District].

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Experimental AnalysisBy: Sachin Mehta

Classroom ObservationsVisiting the sixth grade students at Anderson Elementary in Reno, NV proved to be beneficial for the students as well as team two-α. The generation and synthesis of the Simple Electrical Circuits design project involved a considerable amount of preparation. Although, as time elapsed in the classroom, much of the team’s uncertainty and anxiety diminished. Any apprehension the team felt prior to the classroom visit faded as the young students became more intent on learning about electricity and simple circuits.

The presentation was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. It actually commenced at 9:40 a.m. because the students needed to complete their prior math assignment. Team two-α used this time to discuss where to setup, where to stand, and the ideal place to situate the materials, as none of the team members had done a walkthrough of the classroom in advance. The demonstration began with a quick overview of electricity and the history behind it. Aware of the time constraints, not a great deal of time was devoted to electricity itself, mainly because it is a unifying concept that is taught during the third, fourth, and fifth grade [WCSD Core Curriculum, website]. The principles of circuitry, on the other hand, were the canons that needed to be defined and illustrated.

As the fundamentals were discussed, most of the sixth grade students seemed to be extremely engaged and many raised their hands to answer the team’s dictated questions. After sketching a simple circuit with light bulbs in series on the whiteboard, the class was asked to determine how many Volts each of the light bulbs used. As expected, most students could not firmly state the correct answer. Yet, as team two-α explained the theory to the students, heads around the class started to nod—signifying a sense of understanding.

Before distributing materials to the class, a circuit was quickly constructed on the smart board projector. In addition, various safety concerns were highlighted, such as the proper handling of light bulbs and the dangerous effect of touching the positive and negative leads of batteries together. However, when an individual is explicitly told not to do something, there is usually a larger urge to do it. Surprisingly enough, all of the students listened to the warnings, and there were no small fires during the classroom visit.

Each group of three was asked to build two circuits consisting of light bulbs in series and light bulbs in parallel. The majority of students worked diligently as each member of team two-α walked around the classroom. The team stopped here and there to talk with the students and answer any questions. Many students seemed to grasp the concepts that were previously discussed and had no issues constructing the circuits. When asked to partner up with another group and combine supplies, the noise level increased two-fold with laughter and smiles being

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heard and seen throughout the room. There was a significant amount of creativity amongst the students when materials and young minds were combined.

While the students worked on understanding and constructing larger circuits, a bag of candy was brought out, causing a frenzy and yet another two-fold increase in the noise level. As the 40 minute mark approached, members of team two-α started to receive an unusual request from various students in the class. Many of the students wanted to take a battery, wires, and two light bulbs home with them in order to build circuits in their own free time. This request caught the members of team two-α “off guard”, but it also marked the classroom visit as a major success.

Survey The survey created for team two-α’s classroom visit consisted of six questions total. Of these six questions, there was one free response question where each student was asked to draw a specific circuit using the correct schematic symbols. The other five questions focused more on the satisfaction of the students. Two of the poll questions included how much interest each student had in science and engineering before and after the presentation. This allowed team two-α to obtain an idea of the change in mind state resulting from the simple circuit presentation. After the survey was handed out to the class, the students took approximately eight minutes to complete it. Each team member continued to walk around the classroom, but tried not to help any students in completing the survey, as this would distort results. A reproduction of the survey is shown in Appendix D.

Data AnalysisAfter the classroom visit on simple circuits, each of the 24 surveys was examined. It is important to note that the class consisted of 15 males and only nine females. This “boy-heavy” class, as the teacher Ms. Marbury put it, could have been problematic as boys can be more rambunctious than girls. However, there were absolutely no problems that occurred during the classroom visit. With nearly a 25% increase in an interest in science, team two-α’s time in the classroom could be deemed a success. After all, the main basis for the demonstration on simple circuits was to get the youth involved and focused on an extensive science and engineering based curricula. With a greater interest in the field, it is more likely that the students will make a deliberate attempt to learn about the everyday phenomena that occur around them.

The last question of the survey also proved to be of crucial importance. The question asked the students to draw one of the simple circuits that were previously discussed by team two-α. A total of 70.8% of the class seemed to have the correct portrayal of two light bulbs in parallel with a voltage source attached. Although team two-α expected a greater number of students would correctly depict the circuit, 70.8% is most definitely not a failure. In addition to this question, the fifth question on the survey also proved an important figure. Lastly, but nonetheless significant, includes the percentage of students who enjoyed themselves and had fun learning about simple circuits: 100%. This came as a surprise during data analysis, but reinforced that the classroom visit was not taken for granted by the students.

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Error Analysis During the class visit, there were a few students who seemed to have significantly more trouble in circuit construction. Some students were detected sitting at their desks with their hands in their pockets. This seemed to be a result of a lack of instructors. Twenty four students may not sound like a great deal, but in reality, the elements add up and can cause a bit of disorientation. In addition, bringing candy to the classroom visit caused a great deal of chaos, with students grabbing handfuls instead of one piece each. Although the teacher did not object, the students would have been more focused on the scientific concepts if the sweets had not been brought along.

RecommendationsCircuit concepts and theory would be more easily taught to students of older age. Sixth grade students have not learned the advanced math needed to calculate currents and voltages at different points in a circuit.

Having more animate visual aids, such as a Power Point presentation, would also assist in grabbing the students’ attention. While the resources necessary to do this were not expected in an elementary school classroom, the class did have its own dedicated Smart Board. According to the teacher, this level of technology is now fairly common in elementary classrooms and may be used to present a variety of visuals.

In terms of organization, placing students into smaller groups (around two students each) would produce better results. There would not be the “third wheel” that does not get a chance to participate. Additionally, not enough supplies were distributed amongst the groups, so many students had to take turns in handling the various material.

ConclusionBy: Hans Meyer Edited by: Sachin Mehta

With the recent lack of engineering graduates in the U.S., it is apparent that promoting engineering earlier and to adolescents is imperative. The fundamental sciences have always been required curricula for K-12 grade levels, but the majority of students and teachers alike, don’t focus greatly on these topics. This problem has become increasingly evident, in light of the declining number of engineering graduates in the U.S. The American education system, school teachers, and parents all need to re-assess this predicament, and take control of the issue before this trend becomes irreversible.

The goal of this lesson is to create a fun environment for fifth to sixth graders to flex the reasoning side of their brain. This lesson challenges the students to use basic engineering principles to deduce the outcomes of simple circuits. The Simple Electrical Circuits demonstration attempts to help in this regard, by providing students with a small, but practical,

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look into multiple engineering disciplines. The project is an inexpensive classroom activity which can be easily understood and implemented by school teachers using the supplied instruction manual. Being easily adaptable to various grade levels, the project also provides a glimpse into real word phenomena that occur every day.

The design project provides demonstrations to students, which is aimed at building a greater understanding of this basic electrical engineering principle. The lesson allows the students to build and determine the outcomes of simple circuits. This project will be successful with the aids of a team charter, project schedule, and Gantt chart. The various materials needed for the project total less than $50, making it a cost efficient and engaging activity. In addition, this activity gives students a great deal of freedom in circuit construction, and gives students the opportunity to work with one another—a major underpinning of engineering. With a 25% increase in an interest in science by the end of the classroom visit, the project proved to be a success.

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References

Bureau of Labor Statistics (website).http://www.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.nrO.htm

Christian Science Monitor (website).http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1220/p01s01-ussc.html

Times Higher Education (website).http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/engineering-and-IT.html

Electric Circuits (website).http://www.bristolwatch.com/ele/batt.htm

Princeton University Electrical Engineering (website).http://web.princeton.edu/sites/ehs/labsafetymanual/sec7g.htm

Electrical Code (website).http://www.code-electrical.com/historyofelectricity.html

TeachEngineering.org (website).http://www.teachengineering.org

Comparing Parallel and Series Circuits (website).http://www.msnucleus.org

Washoe County School District Core Curriculum (website). http://www.washoe.kl2.nv.us/docs/pdf/combined_sci.pdf

Engineering Interact (website).http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources/siliconspies/flash/concepts/simplecircuits.htm

RadioShack (website).http://www.radioshack.com

Holland Personality (website).http://www.soicc.state.nc.us/soicc/planning/jh-types.htm10

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Appendix A:Classroom Material

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Simple Circuits Classroom Material (4th - 6th grade)

Today you will be making electronic circuits. Form into groups of 2-4 people and get the materials in Table 1.

Table 1: Group Materials

• 9Volt Battery & Connector(1-count)

• Wire(2-count, cut into inch segments and stripped)

• 12Volt Light Bulb(2-count, commonly used in auto industry)

You will be making the circuits you see here.

Your teacher will show you how the batteries and light bulbs connect.

But make sure to read and follow these safety rules:

Always remove the connector when not in use.

Do not let the positive and negative leads connect while applied to a battery.

Grip the bulbs by the firm base.

Twist the connector wires onto the bulbs firmly before connecting any battery to the circuit.

Do not drop the bulbs they are fragile and will break.

The bulbs get hot if they are left on; keep the bulbs on for 10 seconds at most.

After you make one of the circuits from above, show your teacher and they will instruct you to make the other circuit.

Extra Credit Question:

Can you name the two circuits you created today?

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Appendix B:Instruction Manual

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Simple CircuitsInstruction ManualGoalThe goal of this lesson is to allow the students to use and develop their reasoning skills with an emphasis in engineering concepts. The lesson aims to teach students problem solving, electrical engineering, and creativity

Pre-Lesson1) Cut wire into 2 in. lengths and strip ½ in. coating on each end.2) Divide the materials into a group, one group consists of

One 9V battery 1 battery connector 2 cut wires 2 light bulbs

3) Be prepared to tell the students about the safety of arcing the batteries. Do not touch the battery connectors together

Lesson1) Cover the lesson on simple circuits. 2) Distribute handout figures of simple circuits as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1: Shows a series circuit diagram on the left and a parallel circuit diagram on the right.

3) Engage the students with questions pertaining to the lesson, such as Which circuit will have brighter bulbs? Why? Ask which diagram belongs to which circuit.

4) Divide the students into groups. Three to four students are recommended per group.5) Pass out the materials to the group and allow the students to build the circuits6) Be readily available to answer question and facilitate a safe learning environment. 7) After 20 minutes, collect all the materials, as without proper supervision the materials can

become dangerous. 8) Review what was just learned in the lesson

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Appendix C:

Advertisement

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Simple Circuits Experiment

Students take on the role as an engineer by constructing simple electrical circuits

Students get the opportunity to experiment with their own ideas

Inexpensive for a large classroom Perfect for any K-12 environment

Most importantly: FUN!Contact Team Alpha for more details! engrcomm@unr.edu or Candice Bauer

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Appendix D:

Classroom Survey

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Simple Circuit Demonstration

1) Gender : Male_____ Female_____

2) Before the demonstration I liked studying science:

A Little_____ Some What_____ A Lot_____

3) After the demonstration my interest in science increased:

A Little_____ Some What_____ A Lot_____

4) Did you have fun learning about today’s experiment on “Simple Circuits.”

Some What A Lot

1 2 3 4

5) What does an engineer do?

a) build things

b) apply science and math

c) solve big problems

d) all of the above

6) Using the symbols learned in the demonstration, draw a circuit with bulbs in parallel below.

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