Electrical Engineering Unit: Schematic Diagrams Practice

Check out this awesome website that scholars explored on Monday! While a few electrical symbols differ from what we've used in our class, scholars did a great job figuring them out and completing the circuits! According to the website, scholars can use this site to:

•    Match electrical symbols to pictures
•    Recognise a complete circuit  from drawings and diagrams
•    Construct circuit diagrams using appropriate symbols
•    Understand how a switch can control devices in series and parallel circuits.

Electrical Circuits Practice

Electrical Engineering Unit: Final Day!

Scholars received feedback from their contractors about their circuit designs. They used this information to create and then improve their designs!

 

 

 

 

 

Electrical Engineering Unit: Day 8

Scholars acted as contractors today. They used the plans that they received on Day 7 to build the engineers' designs. They then needed to clearly communicate what improvements they would make in order for their design to work.

Scholars completed the day with another schematic diagram challenge!

Electrical Engineering Unit: Days 6 and 7

Scholars continued to design their circuit from Day 5. They were reminded to clearly communicate their ideas in their labeled picture and schematic diagram.

Next, scholars switched from being engineers to contractors. Scholars switched plans with scholars from another classroom! They looked at the other engineers' designs and determined if they felt their circuit would work.

Electrical Engineering Unit: Day 5

Scholars started today by being challenged to create a complete circuit with two light bulbs. They learned how to use battery holders, light bulb holders, and alligator clip wires as they constructed their circuits. They quickly discovered that two batteries were needed in order for the light bulbs to light sufficiently. Scholars drew up their schematic diagrams for their designs.

Next, scholars made connections to A Reminder for Emily: An Electrical Engineering Story for a design challenge. Scholars had to design a switch that would complete a circuit to indicate that the "water" in a cup is low. This design would make Emily's chore of keeping the sheep's water trough full easier to keep up with. 

Using the Engineering Process, they imagined, asked questions, and discussed their ideas to come up with their plan, which included a labeled picture and a schematic diagram.

Electrical Engineering Unit: Day 4

Scholars were challenged with the task of lighting a lightbulb with a battery and a wire. Once scholars successfully lit their lightbulbs, they drew a representation of their simple circuits. Our class then discussed the parts of our simple circuits and the purpose of each part. Finally, scholars learned some basic symbols used in schematic diagrams, and they practiced drawing simple circuits as schematic diagrams.

Electrical Engineering Unit: Day 3

Today, scholars sorted technologies from Day 2 by how they use electricity. They looked for patterns in how these technologies use electricity, and scholars discovered that the technologies either "light," "get hot," "make noise," or "move." 

We discussed the definition of electricity (a form of energy that results from the movement or presence of charges), and then scholars learned that scientists and engineers define energy as the ability to make change happen. Scholars determined that the technologies listed changed electrical energy into different types of energy, including: thermal energy, light energy, sound energy, and mechanical energy.

Electrical Engineering Unit: Days 1 and 2

On Day 1 of our Electrical Engineering Unit, scholars worked in groups to summarize a chapter of A Reminder for Emily: An Electrical Engineering Story. Each group then shared the summary of their chapter to the class.

In the story, Emily gets in trouble when she irresponsibly rides Flash, her horse, allowing her sheep's water trough to run out of water. Emily is grounded until she can show that she is responsible. She uses the Engineering Design Process to solve her problem by creating an alarm to notify her when the water is low.

On Day 2, scholars discussed what technology was used before electricity (candles, quill pens, bicycles, etc). They also completed an Electricity Scavenger Hunt to discuss technology that we use on a daily basis and how it uses electricity.