A Paper Circuit? Yes! (A Cool and Inexpensive STEM Science Project)

Amaze your students with this fun and affordable science project

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What would your students say if they could make a science project that could fit right inside of their notebooks?  They would be very amazed.

Affordable Science Project

This fun science project can be made for just a few dollars from objects that you can find in your local hardware store or online.

This blog post will provide step-by-step instructions about how to make this cool science project for kids.

STEM

STEM is designed to foster a love as well as knowledge about mathematics and science. This project brings circuits directly to students' notebooks.

Useful Tools

One of my newest loves and discoveries is aluminum tape.  Where has this been all of my life?  I purchased it for a little under $8 from my local hardware store.  It is found in the plumbing and/or tubing section of the store.  One roll of aluminum tape is enough to last for an entire school year.  I also purchased the round batteries I used for the project at the hardware store.

The LED lights can be purchased at an electronics store.

Background About This Project

What Is A Circuit?

A circuit is a path along which an electrical current can be carried. The energy comes from a source.  In this instance, it comes from a battery. Electrons are carried along the path.  These electrons cause the tiny bulb at the end of the path to illuminate.

Circuits in Daily Life

Circuits power our lights, they enable a car motor to work. They enable a computer (or anything else for that matter) that is plugged into a wall outlet to work.

I love this project because it gets to the heart of STEM.  Students are able to actively engage in STEM with a physical science activity that relates to their daily lives.  It requires just a few parts, and it is not intimidating.

How to Create the Notebook Circuit

STEP 1:  To create a paper circuit, have students draw a pattern on paper.  On one side I drew the picture of a battery.  On the other side, I drew a picture of an LED light.

STEM in the classroom

STEM in the classroom

STEP 2:  Cut a 24 inch piece of tape from the roll.  Next, you will make the piece thinner by cutting the aluminum tape into thirds. I used only a third of the width of tape.  If you are unable to find aluminum tape, aluminum foil from the grocery store will work just fine.  Make sure to make the strip thin.  (A larger width decreases the flow of energy in the circuit.)  

STEP 3:  Place the aluminum on top of your circuit lines in the notebook. Tape or glue will help it stay secure.

Special Notes During This Step:

1.Do not let both sides of the aluminum strips connect.  This can cause a short in the battery.  The edges on my example come close, but they do not touch.

2.When you are attaching the aluminum foil to the paper, do not cut it.  Instead, fold the corner and continue to apply the aluminum strip.  Cutting the strips reduces the flow of energy.

STEP 4 Continued...

Stack the batteries.  Place the batteries over the battery drawing, and place the LED light over the LED drawing. 

STEP 5:  You are all finished!  I had fold extra pieces of aluminum tape to connect each side of the battery to the circuit.  The sticky tape interfered with the conduction.  (I made sure that when I attached this extra aluminum, both sides of the circuit DID NOT connect as I was attaching the aluminum to the top of the batteries.  

You might have to press the batteries down to hold it in place. 

STEM in the classroom

Remove the batteries and LED light when you are finished so that they can be used in another project.

I love this because students learn about circuits and conductivity from doing and not just reading about it in a book.  

Follow my blog for additional STEM in the classroom activities.

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Access Fun Science Interactive Notebooks Too!

Click The Image

Click Here To Access It.

S.T.E.M. In the Classroom: Fun Science Experiments

Do some fruits and vegetables cause the foods near them to rot quickly?  This is a fun question to explore.

It is recommended that apples be placed in a separate compartment by themselves in the refrigerator.  This is because apples release a gas that can cause the fruits and vegetables near them to ripen quickly.

Give It A Try In Your Classroom

Place at least two bananas in paper bag. Fold the top of the bag, and place it in a cool, shady part of the room.  This will be the control.

Get a second bag.  Place at least two bananas in the bag, and place two ripe apples in the bag as well.  Place this bag in a different cool, shady part of the room.

Compare the results.

(Paper) Frog Dissection

Click Here To Access It

This frog does not leap, but it will leap into the hearts of your students.  Students can dissect a paper frog with this unique and fun resource.  Templates, directions, and bonus comprehension sheets are all included.Click Here To Access It

Close Reading in the Content Areas

Closely reading text is a strategy that can be implemented easily across the content areas. With the push for students to read an increased amount of nonfiction text, being able to interpret a variety of passages is important. 

When a student does a close reading for fiction, they will mostly focus on character traits, inferences, as well as main idea. Informational text close reading focuses on identifying cause and effect relationships between events, summarizing, and also comparing the viewpoints of different authors.For free close reading bookmarks, click here.

Closely reading text across the content areas helps students realize that reading strategies should me used across all subjects.

This is an example of science text that was closely read from my product, Matter and Energy Close Reading Passages (Click Here).  It contains four different reading levels of differentiated passages.

STEM in the Classroom: Make a Lightbulb

If you are looking for a fun science project or science related activity, this one will definitely please a crowd.

This project just takes a few minutes to create and can be done as a classroom activity or as a fun science project.  Most of these materials are easy to find.  The pencil lead is the same type that is used in mechanical pencils.  This can be found in most stores that sell pencils and school supplies.  The alligator clips can be found at electric supply stores.

Step 1:  Tape two different ends of alligator clips to the sides of a paper towel roll using the electrical tape.

Step 2:  Tape the positive and negative (top and bottom) ends of the batteries together.

Step 3:  Attach the pencil lead.

Step 4:  Cover your light bulb with a glass or jar.  Then attach the loose ends of the alligator clips to the battery.

Did you see what happened at the end of the activity?  It is so much fun.  Wait for the alligator clips to cool off because they become very hot.  Then, replace the mechanical pencil lead to do the activity again.

Explanation of the Project:  

The electrons are flowing through the wires and batteries.  Since the electrons are not able to pass through at the same time, the electrons collide to create friction. All of the friction causes heat to form.  This is the light bulb begins to glow.  

In traditional light bulbs, there is a thin filament inside of the bulb.  The electrons collide as they attempt to pass through this filament and produce heat.  Irons, curling irons, and coffee pots work this same way. Thomas Edison experimented tirelessly with different wires and with filaments that were of different thicknesses in order to create the first light bulb.  In our activity, the pencil lead works as the filament.

For Additional Science Resources, Access A Link Below--

Click Here To Access This Notebook

Next Generation Science Standards (Teaching Ecology)

This is a recent picture that I took with my Nikon zoom lens.  I deeply love nature and history and enjoy going behind the scenes with archaeologists, marine biologists, and other researchers to deeply understand concepts. The Next Generation Science Standards give me an extra reason to get up and close with animals, something that I already loved to do.

The Next Generation Science Standards' goal is to assist students with understanding the relationship between events that occur in nature and really probe students to think deeply.

For several months, I have been working on an ecology unit that I want to use with students.  These are the task cards that go along with the unit.  They are mostly geared for students in fifth grade all the way through high school.  Click Here To Access Them

Soon, I will be showing pictures of my science experiments that have been completed with students and will share illustrated science project ideas that can be done in the classroom.  Stay tuned!