Virginia SOL PS.9.c
The Standard
electric circuits transfer energy
Virginia Standards of Learning for Science · The student will investigate and understand that there are basic principles of electricity and magnetism. Key ideas include
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students trace energy from a battery or power supply through a closed circuit to a device. They explain how the device changes electrical energy into light, heat, sound, or motion.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a diagram or built circuit, students identify the source, conducting path, switch, and load. They predict whether the device will work and describe each energy change accurately.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think current is used up as it moves through a bulb or motor. They may also think an open circuit delivers energy, or that wires produce energy.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Draw a closed circuit with one battery, wires, and a bulb. Add arrows and labels showing the energy changes, then explain what happens when one wire is removed.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Build battery and bulb circuits with wires and switches, then compare energy changes in open and closed arrangements.
Write a response to this prompt: Where does the energy go when a battery powers a small fan?
Play Circuit Fix-It by giving pairs faulty circuit diagrams to correct and explain before earning a point.
Trace the energy changes in a phone charger, from the wall outlet to stored battery energy and heat.
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Printable PS.9.c Worksheet
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