ELECTRICITY IGNITES! CIRCUITS

 

Georgia Standards

 

South Carolina Standards

 

Key Vocabulary

 

Materials

• Circle colored stickers for resistors in circuit breaker tag
• Lanyards for name tags–each lanyard/name tag should have one card in it. Cards should be labeled battery, wires, switch, light bulb/motor); one lanyard/nametag/card per student
• Open/closed cards–each card should have one word on it–either open or closed (one card per group of four students)
• Insulator conductor cards–each card should have a visual of a conductor or insulator on it (one card per group of four students)
• Paper and pencils

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

CIRCUIT FREEZE

• Tell students that statues are frozen poses actors use to tell dramatic stories.
  • A statue is one person freezing.
  • Statues have levels (high, middle, low), interesting shapes, and facial expressions.
• Ask students to use their bodies and faces to create a statue of the word “open”.
  • Ask them to outstretch their arms really wide and freeze as if they can't move.
  • This represents an open circuit.
• Then, ask students to use their body and face to create a statue of the word “closed”.
  • Ask them to hook their hands together in front of their body.
  • Encourage them to pulse their body to represent a closed circuit.
• Tell students they must freeze in the corresponding statue when you call out "1, 2, 3….OPEN FREEZE" or "1, 2, 3….CLOSED FREEZE".
  • Coaching note:
    • Encourage students to use energy in all parts of their body and face, whether frozen or pulsing.
      • Body (gestures, interesting shapes, energy throughout)
      • Face (eyes, mouths, cheeks)
    • Encourage students to have intense freezes like they are being zapped frozen.

 

CIRCUIT BREAKER TAG

• Choose one student to be the battery.
  • Give that student one color dot.
  • Ask the student to put this dot on their forehead.
  • The battery is “it”.
• Assign three to four students to be switches.
  • Give these students another color dot.
  • Ask students to put the dots on their foreheads.
  • Switches control when circuits are open or closed.
• The rest of the students are electrons.
  • Electrons are runners.
• Explain how the game works.
  • The battery (“it”) will run around tagging electrons.
    • If an electron is tagged, the student will open their arms stretched out wide and freeze in place.
      • They are representing an open circuit.
      • The only way for a frozen electron to move again is if a switch tags them.
        • When a switch tags an electron, the electron can run free again.
          • They represent "flipping the switch”, which closes the circuit.
        • Conclude the game after a set time limit or until most electrons are frozen.
        • You can then move on to different modes of the game.
          • Explain each of the three modes:
            • Series Circuit Mode:
              • Have students hold hands to create a chain.
                • This represents a series circuit.
              • If one electron in the chain gets tagged by the battery, everyone in that chain must freeze.
                • This represents a break in the circuit.
              • A switch can tap the frozen players to restore the circuit.
                • This allows the entire chain to move again.
              • Parallel Circuit Mode:
                • Students can run freely throughout the space.
                  • This represents separate parallel paths.
                • If an electron is tagged, only that individual electron freezes.
                  • All other electrons can keep running.
                • A switch can unfreeze the tagged electron by tapping them.
                  • This restores that part of the circuit.
                • Resistor Mode:
                  • Assign some students to be resistors.
                    • Resistors cannot run. They can only walk and must move very slowly. This simulates resistance in a circuit.
                      • NOTE: You can give resistors colored stickers on their forehead or wristbands.
                    • Other electrons (runners) can move freely unless tagged.
                    • If a resistor is tagged by the battery, the resistor must freeze like a normal electron.
                    • This demonstrates:
                      • How resistors slow down the flow of electrons in a circuit.
                      • How resistance affects movement (current).
                    • Once students understand the concept of resistors, you can add levels.
                      • Resistance levels:
                        • Have some resistors hop in slow motion.
                        • Have other resistors turn in slow motion.
                        • You can use other slow-motion movements or ask students for suggestions.

Work Session

VIVANT CIRCUIT

• Explain that pantomime is a dramatic way to tell a story without using your voice.
  • Actors exaggerate their body movements, gestures, and facial expressions to mime stories.
• Tell students that the class will tell the story of a human circuit using pantomime.
• Ask the class to make a big movement with their bodies.
  • Tell them that these movements are energy.
• Next, tell them that they will see how energy moves through a circuit.
• Demonstrate one circuit.
  • Ask four volunteers to come to the front of the room.
  • Assign each volunteer a role.
    • 1- Battery–the energy source
    • 2- Wires–the connectors
    • 3- Switch–which can open or close the circuit
    • 4- Light bulb/motor–the load
      • The load reacts when the circuit is complete.
    • Have the actors stand in a circle and hold hands.
    • Explain that they have now formed a circuit chain.
    • Ask the battery to make a big energy movement.
      • This energy movement will pass down the line of the circuit.
    • The battery starts the energy by passing the movement down the line.
      • When the movement reaches the wire, the wire activates.
      • When the movement reaches the light bulb, the light bulb reacts or lights up. The actor jumps or spins.
        • This shows that the circuit is complete.
      • The switch can open/close the circuit.
        • Open–breaking, hands outstretched, and frozen pose
        • Closed–rejoining hands and pulsing
      • Explore details about open and closed circuits.
        • Closed circuit: The electrical path is complete, allowing current to flow.
        • Open circuit: There is a break in the path, preventing current from flowing.
      • Have students pantomime both types of circuits. Prompt each by asking students in the audience to shout out "OPEN" or "CLOSED".
      • Add sound:
        • Explain that you will now stop pantomiming and add sound to the circuit.
        • Encourage students to create a sound for their part of the circuit.
        • Their sound activates when the energy reaches them.
      • GROUP CIRCUITS:
        • Hand out lanyards to every student.
        • Tell them that they are now the circuit character listed on their lanyard.
        • Tell them they have two minutes to get into groups of four with each character represented.
        • Allow them time to group themselves without intervening.
        • Once groups are defined, have students create a quick statue of their character.
        • Give each group a closed or open card.
        • Then, tell them they have four minutes to develop a pantomime for their type of circuit.
        • After four minutes, have each group share their pantomime with the rest of the class.
        • Have the audience guess if they were an open or closed circuit.
        • Add sound:
          • After all groups share, have them get back into their circuit groups and create a sound for their character. .
            • Give them two minutes to rehearse bringing their pantomime to life with sounds.
            • When the energy is passed, the character adds their sound.
            • Then call out "1, 2, 3, ACTION" as groups simultaneously add sound and movement to their circuits.
          • SERIES VERSUS PARALLEL
            • When the class has mastered open and closed circuits, you can introduce series versus parallel circuits using pantomime and bring them to life with sound.
              • Some light bulbs turn off, others stay on.

 

EXTENSION: TO CONDUCT OR NOT TO CONDUCT, THAT IS THE QUESTION

• Discuss insulators and conductors and how they affect circuits.
• Get students back into their circuit groups.
• Hand each group a visual of an insulator or conductor.
• Ask them to identify if it is a conductor or insulator and to write it on the visual card.
• Give them five minutes to develop four lines of dialogue between the circuit and the insulator/conductor.
  • Encourage students to create character voices.
• Have students share dialogue with the class.

 

K-4 GRADE APPLICATIONS:

• Explore the following electricity-related topics by playing charades or having students create a pantomime to bring to life.
  • Kindergarten: Types of motion
  • 1st: Light and sound
  • 2nd: Magnets (push and pull)
  • 3rd: Heat transfer
  • 4th: Balanced and unbalanced forces

 

Closing Reflection

• Tell students that today they used their bodies to bring electrical circuits to life. Have them show you one thing you learned about circuits without using their voices.
• Now, have them turn and talk. Students should tell their partners three ways that they use electricity every day.
• Ask students the following reflection questions:
  • What did you enjoy about pantomiming and creating dialogue?
  • What do circuits have to do with electricity, and why do we need a complete path/loop for electricity to flow?
  • How do you see circuits or connections in human relationships?

 

Assessments

Formative

• Walk around the room while students create pantomimes and clarify why they chose certain movements through question and answer.
• Assess students’ ability to use their voice and body to portray characters. Encourage those who are having difficulty.

Summative

• Have students create a checklist for their pantomime presentation skills that includes use of body, facial expression, and exaggeration.
• Assess whether students understand the content through their pantomime presentation.

 

Differentiation

Accelerated:  Create monologues from an open or closed circuit point of view, adding the problem or solution of an insulator or conductor. Flesh out the four lines of dialogue into a full scene involving three circuit characters.   Remedial: Build circuits with groups coming to the front of the class versus getting into small groups. Have students improvise the dialogue; the teacher will scribe it on the board.

 

Additional Resources

• Broken Box Theatre Mime Company Video
• History of Mime
• Fun Pantomime Video - “Punchomime, Brushing Teeth”

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Susie Spear Purcell

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW