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.  

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Access Fun Science Interactive Notebooks Too!

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Click Here To Access It.

STEM Resource: Sticker Circuits

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I truly love any resource that can make STEM and the Next Generation Science Standards easier for students.  Do you remember making a circuit for science class or for the school science fair?  What I love about this resource is the fact that there are not any wires or confusing gadgets.  With this innovative resource, students can create different types of circuits with special stickers and tape (that's it)Click Here To Access It.

I love the fact that there is a "sketch book".  The sketchbook has patterns of different types of circuits.  Students can attach the special conductive tape, sticker LED light and battery directly onto the book to create endless projects.

Click Here To Access It

Integrate Reading, Social Studies, Science, and Writing with a Fossil and Rock Dig

A fossil or rock dig is not only fun, but it is a great reason to get students to write.  Click here to access the free student writing form.

Each year, I set up a classroom dig with my students. All grade levels investigate fossils. I use rocks with just some grade levels.  When we do dig for rocks, we analyze rock features and classify them as sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. 

How to Set Up A Classroom Dig

Materials Needed:

Rocks or Fossils

Paintbrushes (I purchase mine from any discount type of dollar store.)

Sand (or moon sand from Brookstone)

A bucket to hold the materials

A student recording form Click Here To Access It

This is a dinosaur fossil that I made using a mold and plaster of paris.

The students work in small groups to look for rocks and fossils.  Once they find something, they write about what they find.  I really enjoy seeing the students have fun doing this activity.  This gets them to use inference skills because students must use clues about what they have previously learned in order to explain what they have found.

After each student has taken a turn, each person must complete a written form.  This is a great way to include grammar and writing.

Since students are investigating rocks and/or fossils, this is also a great way to integrate science and stem.  This is a fun activity for introducing students to the Next Generation Science Standards.

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!