Ideas for Electrical Circuits in the Visual Arts:

!!!!• Observe the properties of the circuit materials -- color,

texture, pliability, function, design. • Study ways that electricity has been used in art. • Study artists who have integrated electricity into their

work, the impact of that work, the design of that work, public response to that work.

• Explore the conducting properties of a variety of art materials.

• Create art that integrates electrical circuits. • Create wearable art that integrates electrical circuits. !

!!• Build a model using low-tech materials that represents an

idea central to your theme of study. Add lights for meaningful emphasis.

• Study the cultural impact of a technology that depends on electricity.

• Research inventors, innovators, thinkers who have made important contributions to science, to the cultural fabric of your community, to the world.

• Research the emergence of the Maker Movement in modern culture and critically analyze its appeal.

• Create a map using paper, pens and markers. Integrate circuits of lights to represent important features on the map. Use differently colored lights to represent different features. !

Ideas for Integrating Electrical Circuits into History & Social Studies:

Integrating an electrical circuit into any discipline can support:

!• Understanding of foundational scientific principles.

- How do electrons flow? - What makes the light turn on? - What does the battery do? - How does a switch work?

• Understanding of the concept of a loop––an idea central to computing, mathematics and science.Fine motor skill development––tweezers, teeny LED lights, placement of copper tape, sewing with conductive thread...this is tricky stuff!

• Creative, multimodal expression of meaning. - How does the placement of the light convey meaning? - How can the elements of the circuit be integrated into

an artistic representation of an idea? • Flexible, interdisciplinary thinking. Let’s help children

break down the disciplinary silos of learning that can inhibit transfer and limit problem solving.

• Positive affect. When learning is fun, kids learn more!

Ideas for Paper Circuits in English Language Arts:

!!• Create an artistic representation of the character from a

book. Integrate a circuit in a way that shows understanding of the character’s strengths, experiences, or limitations.

• Create an artistic representation of the setting or a moment of action from a novel. Integrate circuits to communicate meaning.

• Write a How-To text on the creation of paper circuits. • Publish online, using video, text and images, the process

of creating a paper circuit so that others can learn from the process.

• Read a series of informational texts about the scientific discoveries that led to an understanding of electricity, the ways that electricity changed culture, the ways that electricity is used, the importance of conserving electricity, the environmental impact of electricity...and then talk, write, represent, publish...and make a circuit!