The document discusses two big ideas for teaching parallel and series circuits: 1) Electric appliances can be connected in either parallel or series circuits. This helps students understand the physical differences between these types of connections. 2) The way resistors are connected, either in parallel or series, determines the rate of current flow. Students need to understand how total resistance increases or decreases depending on the connection. Assessing student understanding of these concepts can be challenging due to lack of proper equipment and students' prior misconceptions about electricity. Teachers aim to make these abstract ideas concrete through demonstrations, discussions, and simulations.

1. MOSPNA3 MICRO LESSON
PARALLEL AND SERIES
CIRCUITS
GRADE 9: STAND 3
TOPIC:4

2. GROUP MEMBERS
BIKA S.L 201433066
DENEKISE K 201491344
HADEBE M.P 201327063
MDLETSHE S.A 201418945
NKOMO L 201431293

3. WHAT ARE A BIG IDEAS?
 Big ideas are tools that a teacher uses to make learners
understand science concepts that are abstract make them
to be simple
 Helps learners make sense of lots of confusing and
seemingly isolated facts in science.
 Big idea is like a picture that connects the dots in a complex
field.
 Lastly big ideas enable learners to understand events as yet
unknown to them.

4. WHY BIG IDEAS?
 -Big ideas make school science learning relevant and
interesting to the learners.
 - Makes the link between the learner’s science activities
and the world around them.
 -Big ideas brings meaning to the learners learning.
 -As there is a lot of knowledge and content for learners to
grasp Big Ideas makes learning simpler for learner to
understand concepts that are new and abstract.

5. BIG IDEA 1
Electric appliances can
be connected in either
(series or parallel)
connection

6. WHAT DO YOU INTEND THE LEARNERS
TO LEARN ABOUT THE IDEA?
 To differentiate between the parallel
and series connection in circuits.
Why is it important for learners
to Know this?
 When learners have obtained this
knowledge they will be able to see
physical differences between series and
parallel circuits, which is vital for them to
understand in further grades.

7. WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS
IDEA (THAT YOU DO NOT INTEND
LEARNERS TO KNOW YET)?
 Resistance in circuits that are connected in
parallel and in series is calculated differently
with different formulas.
What difficulties/ limitations are
Connected with teaching this idea?
 Most schools do not have the proper
equipment for demonstrations therefore as a
teacher I can only use pictures and they will
not be able to see how differently the bulbs
glow, or the actual effect of resistance in a
circuit.

8. WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU HAVE ABOUT
LEARNERS’ THINKING WHICH INFLUENCE
YOUR TEACHING OF THIS IDEA?
 Most learners thinking is based on
what they have seen or experienced,
with regards to electricity, it is very
difficult to explain because they
cannot see the flow of charge, so
they will not be able to fully
comprehend the reasons for having
different connections.

9. WHAT OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCE YOU
TEACHING THIS IDEA?
 Lack of equipment for experiments.
 Making real life examples which learners can
understand especially in rural areas.
What teaching procedures would you use (and
particular reasons for using These) to engage
with this
idea?
 Most make use of demonstrations and use
visual aid for learners to see the specifically see
the difference.

10. WHICH SPECIFIC WAYS WOULD YOU USE
OF ASCERTAINING LEARNER’S UNDERSTANDING (NOT
CONFUSION) ABOUT THIS IDEA? YOU NEED TO INCLUDE
LIKELY RANGE OF LEARNERS’ RESPONSES.
The use of question and answer method,
allowing the learners to connect the two
different circuits themselves.

11. BIG IDEA 2
The way in which
resistors are connected
(either parallel or series)
will determine the rate of
flow of current.

12. WHAT DO YOU INTEND THE LEARNERS TO
LEARN ABOUT THE IDEA?
 In a series circuit, current is the
same throughout, in a parallel circuit
current is not the same throughout
only voltage is the same. Addition of
resistors in series leads to an
increase in the total resistance yet in
a parallel it leads to the decrease in
total resistance.

13. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR LEARNERS TO
KNOW THIS?
 Learners need this information in order
for them to understand that the increase
and decrease of the total resistance will
have an effect on the brightness of the
resistors (bulbs).
What else do you know about this idea (that
you do not intend Learners to know yet)?
 Inside battery, there is an internal resistor
connected in series with the whole circuit.

14. WHAT DIFFICULTIES/ LIMITATIONS ARE
CONNECTED WITH TEACHING THIS IDEA?
 It would be difficult for some learners
to understand why there is a
decrease in the total resistance while
you are adding a resistor in parallel.

15. WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU HAVE ABOUT
LEARNERS’ THINKING WHICH INFLUENCE
YOUR TEACHING OF THIS IDEA?
 Most learners have this
misconception that current and
resistance is independent of the way
in which the circuit is being
constructed, therefore, as a teacher I
need to change this way of thinking.

16. WHAT OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCE YOU
TEACHING THIS IDEA?
 Some learners have never been exposed to
electricity so it might pose a challenge on
teaching this concept.
What teaching procedures would you use (and
particular reasons for using these) to engage with
this idea?
 Group discussions and question and answer
methods would be my preferred options as it
would be better for learners to engage about this
idea so that they can correct themselves and
realise any misinterpretations of this idea.

17. WHICH SPECIFIC WAYS WOULD YOU USE
OF ASCERTAINING LEARNERS UNDERSTANDING
(NOT CONFUSION) ABOUT THIS IDEA? YOU NEED
TO INCLUDE LIKELY RANGE OF LEARNERS’
RESPONSES
 The use of PhET simulations to
demonstrate to the learners will reduce
confusion.