Creator's Lab Season 2

Invention Lab

Lesson 3 of 6 · IL-2.3

Electricity Basics: How Things Turn On

Watch First

How much electricity does it take to power the world? — TED-Ed

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Watch Second

How do fish make electricity? — TED-Ed

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Lesson Brief

Electricity Basics: How Things Turn On helps you practice engineering, science, making through a concrete watch, think, and build cycle.

Learning Goals

Build Your Understanding

Start by watching the assigned resource and writing down three specific details that connect to Electricity Basics: How Things Turn On. Do not try to capture everything. Look for the ideas that would help you build, explain, compare, or improve something.

Think Like a Builder

This lesson belongs to Invention Lab, so the goal is not just to remember information. Use the lesson to practice engineering and invention. Pay attention to materials, forces, systems, tradeoffs, and testing.

  1. Notice: What is one detail from the video or source that seems important?
  2. Connect: How does that detail change the way you understand Electricity Basics: How Things Turn On?
  3. Build: Use the idea to make a prototype plan, test, or pitch note.

Practice Move

Your practice move is to observe a problem, choose a constraint, and improve a design. Keep it small enough to finish today, but clear enough that someone else could understand your thinking.

Assignment

Write a short response for Electricity Basics: How Things Turn On. Include:

  1. One idea you learned from the video or source.
  2. One example, sketch plan, calculation, comparison, or prototype note you made.
  3. One question or next step you would explore if you had more time.

Use complete sentences. A strong answer explains your thinking, not just the final result. For this Invention Lab lesson, your response should show how you practiced engineering and invention.