LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Teaching electricity and circuits through inquiry

Participants in this online course will learn about the science behind electric circuits and how this content can be taught through inquiry. The workshop will help teachers gain a better understanding of electricity and circuits, including conducting and insulating materials, open and closed circuits, and series and parallel circuits.

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Related pages

  • Teaching electricity and circuits through inquiry: Online course syllabus: This is a syllabus for the online course Teaching Electricity and Circuits through Inquiry.
  • Amazing liquid conductor: Students will mix a variety of liquid solutions together to see if they will light a light bulb in a electrical circuit. They will be able to identify liquid electrical conductors and nonconductors. Also they will be able to identify that liquid solutions that contain a noticeable amount of acid or salt are good conductors of electricity. Each group of students will make a closed circuit to test their solutions.
  • Introduction to online learning: "Introduction to Online Learning" is designed to introduce web-based learning to people who are new to the online learning environment.

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Course description

Boost your understanding of electricity and currents — and impart that understanding to elementary students — using inquiry-based instruction.

In this workshop you’ll learn about the science behind electricity and circuits, including conducting and insulating materials, open and closed circuits, and series and parallel circuits.

You will acquire numerous inquiry-based teaching strategies throughout the course that will enhance your questioning techniques and teach you to better assess students’ understanding of the content.

Course objectives

This workshop will help you to:

  • gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to teach the fundamentals of electricity through inquiry.
  • develop a greater understanding of inquiry-based teaching strategies and how they differ from standard, hands-on activities.
  • learn classroom management and safety strategies associated with teaching electricity to elementary students.
  • become acquainted with assessment strategies and tools for evaluating students’ gains in inquiry-based lessons.

Course information

Syllabus
You can view full the course syllabus here.
Audience
This workshop is designed for teachers, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists, or other school personnel.
Duration
Six weeks
Credits
3.0 CEUs

Standards alignment

North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards (2009)

  • Goal 3: Teachers know the content they teach.
    • Objective 3.02: Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty.
  • Goal 4: Teachers facilitate learning for their students.
    • Objective 4.08: Teachers use a variety of methods to assess what each student has learned.
  • Goal 5: Teachers reflect on their practice.