Provide youngsters with a quick example by switching off every electric appliance in the room, including lights, telephones and a classroom overhead projector, for example, before challenging them to think about the impact of electricity on everyday life. Inform the children that you are going to build a basic electrical circuit with a battery, wires, crocodile clips or electrical tape and a light emitting diode (L.E.D.). Print out a enlarged photograph of a basic circuit and pin it on a wall or notice board so students know what the experiment circuit should look like.
When introducing the idea of electrical circuits to the children, you should also incorporate health and safety information. Inform youngsters that, prior to any interaction with components or circuits, they must put on a white laboratory coat and thick rubber gloves. If you have thick rubber shoes available, your experimenters can also wear them. Although these elements are not strictly necessary given the small amount of electricity involved in this experiment, teaching children electrical safety is very useful from a young age and it will benefit them in later education and life.
Gather your participating scientists around a main table so everyone can see before you start to put together your circuit. Strip 1 inch of insulation from each end of two 6-inch lengths of copper wire. Attach one end of a wire to the positive side of a battery using a crocodile clip and the other end to the right side of an L.E.D.. Attach the negative side of the 9-volt battery to the left side of the L.E.D.. Stand back and let your children observe your completed circuit. To advance the youngsters' understanding, add a switch into your circuit using a third length of copper wire with the insulation stripped between the negative side of the battery and the left side of the L.E.D. and let your young scientists flick the switch on and off.
Often youngsters complete an electrical science experiment in advance of presenting results to classmates and teachers. One of the best ways to show the procedure of an experiment is by displaying enlarged photographs of your circuit; encourage the children to take photographs of the experiment at each stage, so viewers can clearly see each element of the experiment as it occurred. Challenge your young scientists to accompany the visual aids of their experiment with a well-crafted speech explaining the different circuit components and how they interact with one another.