Electrical Circuits Activities for 4th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Electrical Circuits 4th Grade Complete 5E Lesson provides everything you need to teach a multi-day, engaging lesson with minimal prep. Students will explore essential concepts like open and closed circuits, as well as how electricity travels through a closed path. The lesson includes differentiated materials and resources in both English and Spanish to support all learners.

Using the 5E Model, this lesson covers Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. Students will engage in a variety of hands-on and multimodal activities, such as experiments, research, and videos, all designed to promote active learning. With editable PowerPoints and interactive notebooks, the lesson can be customized for your classroom needs.

In the Elaboration phase, students complete student-choice projects to extend their learning, and for Evaluation, the lesson includes assessment questions, review worksheets, and differentiated options for all students. The resources are available in both printable and digital formats, making them suitable for in-person or virtual learning environments.

The Kesler Science Electrical Circuits Station Lab offers a hands-on, student-led approach that will keep 4th grade learners engaged as they explore electrical circuits. With minimal prep and materials provided, students can independently navigate through eight differentiated activities, while the teacher facilitates rather than directs learning. A ninth challenge station caters to early finishers, extending their exploration.

Each of the nine modular stations offers multimodal opportunities to explore new concepts about electrical circuits. Students can engage in activities like experiments, reading, research, and video analysis, with differentiated resources in both English and Spanish. The stations promote independent or small group work, with tools that may already be available in your classroom or lab.

Students demonstrate their understanding through output stations, including hands-on activities, sketches, writing prompts, and assessments. The Challenge It! station offers advanced learners extension activities to further enrich their knowledge. Designed for both in-person and virtual learning environments, these stations provide flexible, personalized learning experiences for all students.

The Kesler Science Conductors and Insulators Student Choice Projects empower 4th grade students to select a project that best aligns with their preferred output style. With six student-led project options and a “design your own” choice, students can showcase their understanding creatively. A detailed grading rubric allows for teacher, peer, or self-assessment.

These flexible and dynamic projects encourage personalized learning. Teachers can adapt the rubric to meet specific grading needs, while the varied formats support creative expression through multimodal choices. The projects are designed to engage students using common classroom materials like paper, markers, and scissors, with many also available in digital formats.

For diverse learners, there are two versions of the project page: one for students requiring additional support, and another for more advanced students, allowing for project combinations. This makes the Student Choice Projects highly adaptable for all learners while maintaining consistency in assessment.