You can demonstrate to students how a simple battery works by using a regular lemon. Simply insert a copper nail into one side of the lemon and a zinc nail into the other side. Cut insulated wire so that you have two pieces, each 6-inches long. Strip around 1/4 inch off the ends of the wires. Wrap one stripped end around the zinc nail, and leave the other end loose. Wrap the end of the second wire around the copper nail, leaving the end loose. When you touch the ends to your tongue, you will feel the harmless zap of the battery.
Static electricity can be demonstrated in a fun and exciting way by making puffed cereal jump onto a record. Wipe a piece of wool around a record for 2 minutes. Use circular motions to really work up the static charge. Hold the record over a bowl of puffed cereal. The static from the record will make the cereal fly up and stick to the record.
Students will gain a better understanding of conductivity if you provide them with this simple circuit experiment. Fold a piece of aluminum foil into a square. Place a battery at one corner of the foil, and wrap the opposite corner of the aluminum foil around the bottom of a light bulb. This will complete the circuit and will cause the light bulb to light up.