Closed Circuits Activities for 5th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Closed Circuits 5th Grade Complete 5E Lesson provides all the materials you need to teach an engaging, multi-day lesson on closed circuits with minimal prep. This lesson follows the 5E model—Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation—ensuring comprehensive student learning. Students will explore essential questions like "How does electricity move through closed circuits?" and "How can electricity produce light, heat, and sound?" 

With differentiated materials and multimodal learning opportunities, this lesson is designed to cater to various student needs and learning styles. The lesson includes editable PowerPoints, printable and digital formats, and Spanish translations of key materials. The student-led station lab offers nine stations for exploring concepts like electricity flow and its effects, with activities that include reading, research, videos, and hands-on tasks. Teachers can assess student mastery through interactive notebook activities and a variety of output options.

The lesson also features a bonus challenge station for early finishers, student-choice projects for extended learning, and assessment questions in dependent and modified versions. The entire lesson is adaptable for both in-person and virtual classrooms, making it highly flexible and convenient for teachers and students alike.

The Kesler Science Closed Circuits Station Lab is a hands-on, student-centered activity designed to engage 5th grade students while teaching them about closed circuits and electricity. With minimal prep required, this lab includes nine modular stations where students explore how electricity flows through closed circuits to produce light, heat, or sound. The stations are differentiated to cater to a variety of learning needs, and a challenge station is provided for early finishers.

The station lab includes both input and output stations that offer multiple ways for students to absorb and demonstrate their knowledge. Input stations such as Explore It!, Research It!, Read It!, and Watch It! provide multimodal learning experiences, while output stations like Organize It!, Illustrate It!, Write It!, and Assess It! encourage students to showcase their understanding through hands-on activities and written responses.

Ideal for both in-person and virtual learning environments, the station lab includes all the necessary materials, such as task cards, signage, and resources, for students to complete independently or in small groups. Teachers are able to facilitate learning while students take charge of their own exploration of closed circuits.

The Kesler Science Closed Circuits Student Choice Projects give 5th grade students the freedom to select a project that aligns with their preferred output style. With six student-led project options and a "design your own" choice, students can engage in creative, personalized ways to demonstrate their understanding of closed circuits. The included grading rubric allows for flexible assessments by teachers, peers, or the students themselves.

These dynamic, multimodal projects offer a variety of options that can be adjusted to meet the needs of all learners. Teachers can modify the rubric to suit grading preferences, and there are two versions of the project page to support differentiated learning for both students needing remediation and those ready for more challenging tasks.

Designed to work with common classroom supplies like paper and markers, many projects can also be completed digitally, offering flexibility for both in-class and remote learning. Some projects may require crafting supplies for building models, allowing for hands-on engagement with the concept of closed circuits.

The Kesler Science Physical Science Interactive Notebook bundle engages elementary students in 13 essential physical science topics with both print and digital formats. This versatile resource supports traditional classrooms, 1:1 environments, and distance learning, ensuring all students can actively participate.  

The digital version includes an interactive PowerPoint that can be uploaded to Google Slides and various LMS platforms, with reflection pages, note-taking spaces, teacher answer keys, and a modified version for accommodations. The paper version provides blank and pre-filled templates, along with color photos for guidance.  

Topics range from properties of matter and energy use to gravitational force and circuits. Whether used for interactive learning, differentiation, or student reflection, this notebook bundle makes science more engaging and accessible.