Wire a Dollhouse Challenge

Author(s): Seth Bush
Subject: Physics
Grade Level(s): Grade 4
Topic: DC Circuits
Big Idea(s):

Students know how to design and build simple series and parallel circuits by using components such as wires, batteries, and bulbs.
Students know electrical energy can be converted to heat, light, and motion.
Students know how to predict the voltage or current in simple direct current (DC) electric circuits constructed from batteries, wires, resistors, and capacitors.

What you need:

DC circuit component kit
Velcro dots
A doll house

Grouping: Work in Groups of 3

Summary:

In this activity we will use what we have learned about DC circuits to wire a dollhouse.

Learning Goals / Objectives:

Learning Objectives
1.) Students will apply what they have learned about DC circuits to learn how to wire:

Lights in a house
An upstairs downstairs switch
A fan
Track lighting
A dimmer switch

Background

This activity is relatively bullet proof. It should probably come after a systematic treatment of DC circuits.

Safety
This activity has little to no risk associated with it. Students may be a little apprehensive, thinking they may get a shock from the battery. They will not be shocked by a D cell or any other 1.5 V battery. Batteries may get warm when in operation.

Anticipatory Set:

Driving Questions
1. What is a circuit? Open? Closed? Short?
2. What does a battery do?
3. What does it mean to have devices: in parallel? in series?
4. How can you utilize electric energy?
5. How can generate electric energy?

Instructions / Activities:

Make sure you have the following:

DC circuit component kit
Velcro dots
A doll house

The Challenge:
Wire my house!
You are a micro-electrical contractor. Your client (me) wants to see the following elements in their new house:

Lights that turn on and off
“track lighting” in the kitchen
A fan (variable speed if possible)
A light with a “dimmer” switch
A light with an upstairs downstairs switch

And … at least one of your devices must be powered using a hand-crank generator.

Brain storm and go!

Follow up questions:
1. Diagram all of the circuits in your house.
2. What are the advantages/disadvantages of having multiple devices use the same power supply?
3 . What differences do you expect to see if devices are: in parallel? In series?

Possible Quantitative Alternatives
After house is wired and circuits are diagramed …

Go through each circuit with a multi meter and quantitatively follow Ohm’s Law.
With quantitative measurements of each circuit, calculate the power requirements for each circuit and for the whole house.