1. It’s Electric!
Experience the physical phenomenon that has shocked scientists forcenturies! Learn how to
construct a circuitand design your own light-up wearables. Watchas goop dances under the power
of static charge. Trap electricity in a jar to carry home!
Age range: 9-12 years
Focus: Electricity and Circuits
Introduction
Have you ever heard of a man named Nikola Tesla? He was a Serbian-American scientist living in
the late 1800’s who discovered and created many of the pieces of technology we use withelectricity
today. At a time when most homes still used candles to produce light, Tesla invented an electrical
system called alternating current, which is still used today to power homes all over the world. He
was one of the greatest minds of the 20th century and his interest began when his cat rubbed
against him causing a stinging shock.Have you ever had this happen to you? The same static shock
we feel can be found in a much more amplified source of lightening. Experiments with static
discharge and lightening were some of the first attempts at understanding electricity. Today we will
be conducting experiments that use static electricity as well as completing circuits to show the path
electricity needs to take to power up technology.
Activity 1: Dancing Goop
Materials
· Balloons – 1 per child (reusable)
· Hand pump – 2 per cart
· 2 oz. portion cup with lid – 1 per child
· Toothpicks– 1 per child
· Cornstarch – 2 tbsp per child
· Water – 1 tbsp per child
· 1 cup liquid measuring cup, withspout or lip forpouring
· Large bowlfor mixing
· Spoon for mixing
Set Up
Have on your tray one balloon for each child attending along withhand pumps. Be sure to have
enough portion cups with lids and toothpicksfor each child, as well. Place in the bowl 2 tablespoon
for every child attending the party. Donot add the water yet,but measure out one tablespoon of
water forevery child attending in to the measuring cup.
Directions
1. Distribute the balloons, toothpicks,and portion cups with lids around to the guests.

2. 2. Begin pouring the water in withthe cornstarch slowly.Add it a little at a time, gauging how
the fluid is coming together.
3. Mix carefully with the spoon or with yourhands to gauge whether it has reached a non-
Newtonian state.
4. Walk around the table and pour a portion of the fluid into each portion cup forthe children
to experiment with. They can test pouring it out and putting it backin the cup.
5. Once they have had a chanceto test the properties of the non-Newtonian fluid, have guests
pump up their balloons.
6. Charge the inflated balloons by rubbing on clothes or hair.
7. Once charged, have guests place their toothpicks into the fluid, then hold up to the balloon
to watchit move.
Explanation
When you rub the balloon against your hair or clothes, you are giving it extra electrons. The
addition of these electrons gives the balloon a negative charge. Meanwhile, the cornstarch, having
identity issues overwhether to be a liquid or a solid, has a neutral charge. When something has a
negative charge it repels the electrons of other objects while attracting protons. When a neutrally
charged objectis light enough in mass, like our cornstarch, the negatively charged balloon attracts
the neutral charge towards it. Try attracting the cornstarch when it’s in the cup or bowl. Itwon’t
work.This is because it now has a heavier mass than the negatively charged balloon can pull. This is
why you need to drip the cornstarchoff of the toothpick,it means there are fewer molecules for it
to adhere to.
Non-Newtonian fluid: a liquid with flow properties whichdifferin any way from a Newtonian fluid.
Also known as a fluid that exhibits properties of a liquid and a solid. It can take the shape of vessels
and flow like a liquid, while being dense enough to not easily penetrate and can be picked up and
handled.
Static charge: the imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material.
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAR90LDb-Uc
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/electric-cornstarch
Activity 2: Leyden Jar
Warning: This experiment deals with discharging a static electric shockwith your hands. Be certain
to communicate to party participants that they will get shockedif they follow all the steps of the
experiments.
Materials
· Small film canister with lid – 1 per child
· Large paper clip – 1 per child

3. · Aluminum foil – 1 1.5” x 4.5” strip per child
· Double sided tape – 1 per every 2 children
· Small safety scissors – classroom set
· Water – about 2 tbsps. per child
· Dixie cups – 1 per child
· PVC pipe cut to 12 inch length – 1 per every 2 children
· Fake fur squares – 1 per every 2 children
Set Up
On a tray have enough film canisters, lids, paper clips, double sided tape, and scissors foreach child.
Pre-cutseveral large strips of aluminum foil to pass around. For the water, you willfill each Dixie
cup 1/3 of the way fullwith one cup foreach child. Have out your PVC pipes and fake fur squares.
Directions
1. Begin by talking about how in the first experiment the balloon’s negative charge wouldbe
lost over time and question how youmight keep a charge stored to use forlater. What
does this device remind you of?
2. Distribute to each child a film canister withlid, a paper clip, a cup of water, a strip of
aluminum foil, and a pair of scissors.
3. Begin by measuring out the aluminum foil needed to wrap the base of yourcanister with
and cutoff any access foil. Make sure to leave a gap between the top of the canister and
the foil, if wrapped too high this experiment willnot work.
4. Take twolong strips of double sided tape and wrap them around the body of the canister.
5. Wrap your foilstrip around the tape, pressing firmly so there is high contact between the
foil and the canister.
6. Placeyour lid on the film canister to stabilize for the next step. Begin by pulling the open
end of the paperclip outward and press it straight (fig 1). Carefully holding the film
canister in place, puncture the paperclip through the lid of the canister (fig2).
Fig 2:
Fig 1:

4. 7. Take the lid off of your jar and pour in the water. Wipe down any water that may of
transferred to the outside of the jar, it needsto bedry beforeyouproceed.Replacethe
lid on the jar, listen for the snap that it is tightly closed.
8. Take your PVCpipe in hand and begin to rub it withthe fake fur.Listen for the crackleand
pop of the static charge building.
9. After a few seconds of rubbing, run the PVCpipe across the sides of the paperclip.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 a few times to build up a static charge inside the Leyden jar.
11. To demonstrate that the Leyden jar has worked, wemust discharge the static electricity.
To do this wewill carefully hold the jar touching the aluminum foiland with the same
hand, toucha finger or knuckle to the paperclip. Youwill hear and feel the shock or spark
of discharge from the Leyden Jar.
Explanation
The Leyden Jar, historically, was the original form of a capacitor,or more commonly known as a
battery. It was a device made out of glass, metal, and water developed in the University of Leiden in
Germany. The science of what is happening begins with the static charge. Just like withour balloon,
we are building a negative charge on the PVCpipe. We then transfer this charge into the Leyden jar
through the paperclip. The paperclip, being metal and set at a neutral charge, conductsthis
electricity into the jar. Once inside the water stores and conducts the charge, but it stops when it
encounters the plastic walls of the insulating film canister lined with the positively charged
aluminum foil. These two barriers do not allow the electric charge to travel any further and keep
them stored inside the jar. In order forthe static charge to be released, we just introduce another
conductorto the paperclip, which in this case are our fingers. We are creating a circuit withour
hand. With one finger on the positively charged aluminum foiland one finger on the negatively
charged paperclip, we complete the circuitnecessary to discharge our stored static electricity. This
is the shock wefeel and sometimes can even see when wetouch the Leyden jar.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leyden_jar#Design
http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/education/tutorials/java/leydenjar/
Activity 3: Circuitry Blocks
Materials
· Circuitry blockkit – 3 kits per cart
· 2 AA batteries
Set Up
Have enough circuitry boards available depending on the size of the party. For a party of 10, use 2
kits for groups of fiveto work on. For a party of 15, use 3 kits. For a party of 30, use six kits.
Directions
1. Discuss how a circuitsworks, see below.
2. Experiment within teams of five to make the light turn on the circuitry block.

5. Explanation
When electricity is stored within a battery cell, like our Leyden jars, it is ready to be discharged or
released into a conductor.It has what scientists call, potential energy. With our Leyden jar, our
hands acted as a conductor. Tobe a conductorto electricity a material or objectneeds to be able to
help the flow of the electric current. The opposite of a conductor is an insulator. The plastic coatings
seen on electrical wires are an example of an insulator, because they do not allow electric current to
pass through.
Using insulators and conductors we can build a circuit.What does the word circuitsound like? In
order to move the electricity fromour battery to a piece of technology we must make a circular
path forit to follow.A circuit is usually made by linking electrical components together with pieces
of wire cable. Thus, in a flashlight, there is a simple circuit witha switch,a lamp, and a battery
linked together by a few short pieces of copper wire. When you turn the switchon, electricity flows
around the circuit. If there is a break anywhere in the circuit,electricity cannot flow.If one of the
wires is broken, for example, the lamp will not light. Similarly, if the switch is turned off,no
electricity can flow.This is why a switch is sometimes called a circuit breaker.
A current of electricity is a steady flow of electrons. When electrons movefrom one place to another
they carry electrical energy with them. In order for the electrons to flow there needs to be a push
behind it called electromotive force.Our battery generates this forceand is termed in volts of how
much it can push electrons forwardin to the circuit.When electrons are pushed out of the negative
terminal of the battery, they are attracted to follow the circuitto the positive terminal where there
are less electrons stored. Along the way in our circuit we may have placed a light, whichis has a
filament inside it whichconducts those electrons till it glows white hot, producing light as a
byproduct.
References:
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/electricity-and-magnetism/v/circuits-part-1
I recommend watchingjust the first video on circuits. The other three lessons get very highly
technical forthose training to become electricians. However the Khan Academy does give a
comprehensive overview of circuitry.There are also videos in this lesson plan that includes
information on static electricity,potential energy, voltage, and capacitance.
OR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK0uAW8usco BillNye,for classic science knowledge!
How light bulbs work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MYB8butQwQ

6. Activity 4: Light-Up Wearables
Materials
· Small safety scissors – classroom set
· Foam strips and pieces – 1 1” x 2.5” strip per child
· Alligator clips – 1 per child
· Decoration (feathers, sequins, stickers, etc.)
· Pipe cleaners – 1 per child
· CR2032 button battery – 1 per child
· 5 mm LEDlight – 1 per child
Set Up
Placeon yourtray one button battery, one LEDlight, one strip of craft foam, and one alligator clip
per every child attending the party. On a second tray have decorations to be shared between every
twoparticipants.
Directions
1. Begin by making observations of the battery. Doyou see the plus and negative sign? How do
we think this battery is similar to our Leyden jar? How is it different?
2. Test the LEDlight against the battery. What does it take to make the light turn on? Which
“leg” of the LED should be touching whichside of the battery?
3. Once determined, longer leg to positive side, sandwich yourbattery and LED with the small
strip of craft foam.Take the alligator clipto hold the battery and light in place.
4. We now have a circuitand base for our light-up wearable. Kids may now decorate using the
stickers and other materials.
5. Once decorated youmay either clip the battery and light comboon to a child’s shirt or string
a pipe cleaner through the clip’s open wires to make a bracelet or ring.
Explanation
As weexperimented with the circuitry boards, we are creating another circuit.This time the circuit
is smaller, as the anode and cathode of the LEDconduct the flow of electrons in and out of the light.
Our insulator is the electrical tape. The light will stay on for as long as there is stored energy in the
battery and the legs of the LEDare touching the correct terminals.