Digital Electricity Lesson: Series vs. Parallel Circuits Simulation & Questions

Post this digital lesson to your Google Classroom for your middle school science class to engage and experiment with series and parallel circuits! This resource provides structure to fun experimentation with PhET, an excellent, free, and engaging simulation tool. Students will build circuits with a variety of materials to learn how circuit design impacts the flow of electricity. This simulation can be used for distance learning or in science labs with limited equipment. It can be printed out and used as a worksheet too.

This editable digital resource includes:

• kid-friendly instructions with visual support
• link to the circuit simulator by PhET
• 4 pages of simulation prompts and questions

Specific Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate different ways of lighting two lights from a single power source, and compare the results.
• Recognize that wiring two bulbs in series makes both bulbs glow less brightly than if the bulbs are wired in parallel.
• Demonstrate different ways of using two batteries to light a bulb, and compare the results.
• Recognize that wiring the batteries in series causes the bulb to glow brighter than it would if parallel wiring were used.

Key Vocabulary:

• circuit
• electricity
• electrons
• battery
• switch
• current
• series
• parallel

This resource is based on the Grade 5 & 9 Science curriculum of Alberta and is part of the Electricity & Magnetism Unit.

Looking for more digital resources on electrical circuits?

Part 1: Building a Circuit - PhET Simulation & Questions

Part 2: Conductors & Insulators - PhEt Simulation & Questions

Part 3: Resistors

Part 4: Will it Shine? Round 1

Part 5: Series & Parallel Circuits

Part 6: Will it Shine? Round 2