Prep
- ✓ Parts per pair: base grid, battery holder, slide switch, lamp, connectors, and blue snap wires.
- ✓ Prepare four to six dry materials per table: paper clip, metal spoon, coin, craft stick, rubber band, paper, or cardboard.
- ✓ Make one incomplete sample circuit or print one troubleshooting card.
Deck map
Day 1: slides 1-8. Leave slide 8 projected during the first build.
Day 2: slides 9-13. Leave slide 12 projected during the material test; use slide 13 for the exit.
Teacher moves
- Trace one closed path with a finger before batteries enter the circuit.
- Model the switch as an intentional break. Open means the path is broken; closed means the path is complete.
- For the material test, keep the circuit and gap unchanged. Swap one dry material only.
- Troubleshoot with power off: compare to diagram, check snaps, check direction, ask for another set of eyes, then power on.
Safety, Troubleshooting + watch-fors
Lamp: closed switch = on; open switch = off. Conductors: metals should complete the path. Insulators: dry wood, paper, rubber, and cardboard should not.
Do not call a dim or flickering lamp an insulator without checking the contact. The claim must match repeatable evidence. Keep power off while students compare the build to the diagram and check every snap.
If time is tight
Keep the path trace, the first lamp build, two contrasting material tests, and the troubleshooting routine. Cut the number of tested materials before cutting the explanation.