Georgia S5P2.c
The Standard
Plan and carry out investigations on common materials to determine if they are insulators or conductors of electricity.
Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science · Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate electricity.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students build a simple circuit and place different materials into a gap to test whether current flows. They keep the test conditions the same, record results, and classify each material as a conductor or insulator.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can plan a fair test, safely connect a battery, wires, and bulb, then test several materials. They use the bulb’s response as evidence and recognize that metals usually conduct while materials such as rubber and plastic usually insulate.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think an insulator stops electricity everywhere rather than only where it is placed in the circuit. They may also assume every shiny object conducts, or label a material from appearance instead of test results.
How to Assess It
- Give students a battery, bulb, wires, paper clip, craft stick, and plastic spoon. Ask them to test each object, record whether the bulb lights, and explain one classification using evidence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Build a battery and bulb tester, then use it to test foil, coins, rubber bands, craft sticks, plastic spoons, and paper clips.
Ask students to write which material they predict will conduct best, then revise their claim after testing and cite one observation.
Play Conductor Sort by having teams classify material cards, earn points for correct choices, and explain each answer before checking.
Inspect a power cord and explain why the inside is metal while the outside is plastic, without cutting or plugging it in.
Free download
Printable S5P2.c Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to S5P2.c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- S8P5.c
Plan and carry out investigations to identify the factors (e.g., distance between objects, magnetic force produced by an electromagnet with varying number of wi...
- S4P1.a
Plan and carry out investigations to observe and record how light interacts with various materials to classify them as opaque, transparent, or translucent.
- S5P2
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate electricity.
- S8P5.b
Plan and carry out investigations to demonstrate the distribution of charge in conductors and insulators.
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson