Using a drag-and-drop circuit simulator, students design and test electrical circuits safely on iPads, learning how components interact in real time.
Preparation & Flow
Flow:
Introduction to Circuit Symbols and Flow (10 mins)
Teacher introduces and explains the functions of components such as battery, switch, bulb, resistor, and motor.
Hands-on Circuit Building (20 mins)
Students build simple series and parallel circuits using TinkerCad.
Challenge Task (20 mins)
Students are given a “client brief” (e.g., a house lighting system including two-way switches). They design a circuit and explain how it works.
Reflection and Peer Review (10 mins)
Students screenshot their circuits, upload them to Freeform, and comment on a classmate’s work.
Additional task: Teachers can get students to draw out the circuitry they designed as a circuit diagram and upload it to Freeform. Students can spot mistakes in the circuit diagrams of their classmates and give comments.
Possible Extensions
• Link to sustainability: solar-powered circuits
• Introduction to Ohm’s Law in Upper Sec Physics
• Introduction to Electromagnetism and Electromagnetic Induction
From the LearnGrowCreate Team
Main author: Sharon
Attach up to 5 files which will be available for other members to download.