2. Project Tropic: Electrical Circuits
During the next month, students will
complete a project on electrical currents.
Students will be put into small groups and
will have to conduct a “house model” in
which each room will produce a different
circuit.
3. Technology in the Project
In addition to the house model, students
will be asked to record a video of the
progress of their house and provide a
presentation of “their house of circuits” to
the class.
4. Learning Objectives
At the end of this project students should be
able to:
-Identify ways to use and conserve electrical energy
-Identify characteristics of parallel and series circuits
-Classify materials as conductors, non conductors, and insulators of
electricity and heat
-Identify relationships among charge, current, and potential energy
-Identify components of a circuit
5. What materials will my child need for this project?
All materials needed for this project will
provide for all students. Each student will
receive an electric circuit kit. Also, a
camera will be provided to each group for
videoing their presentation.
6. How can parents help?
Parent involvement is always important in a student’s
education. During the project, it would be greatly
appreciated if you engage with your child about
electrical circuits. An easy way to do this is simply by
asking questions. Ask your students questions that
will prompt critical thinking. This will help them take
their learning to the next level.
7. Why is my child learning about electrical circuits?
As a fourth grade student it is required for students in Alabama
to learn and describe how electrical circuits work. Students are
asked to identify how to use and conserve energy, the
characteristics of different circuits, classifying different
conductors, nonconductors, and the insulators of heat and
electricity, and the relationships among charge, current, and
potential energy. Our Project Based Learning (PBL) project will
help students accomplish this and provide a deeper knowledge of
not only how electrical circuits work, but also how they can be
applied in the real world.
8. How will I know my child's progress during this assignment?
As a group we will provide feedback throughout the
project. For instance, we will be using day-to-day
journals in order for our students to explained what
they learned day-to-day throughout the project and
in addition any questions or concerns. Based on these
journals, we will provide a weekly update for parents
in order for you to see what is going on, however
students will still have the confidence to ask
whatever they please.
9. Contact us
Our teachers are dedicated to making sure that our parents and
students are all on the same page. We are always available for
conferencing per appointment. However, if you email or contact us via
cell phone we are available after school hours M-F 4:30 to 6
Our Contact Info:
Megan Friedmann: email: mjfriedmann@crimson.ua.edu phone: 513-335-0742
Jordan Phillips: jlphillips4@crimson.ua.edu phone: 256-606-6763
Julie Crouch: jdcrouch@crimson.ua.edu phone: 205-914-0133
10. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to read this
newsletter. I appreciate your involvements
with our classroom. I will continue to stay
in contact with you all throughout this
project. I am so excited to begin this
project and can not wait to see the
students learn.
