Career Blade Electrician-Understanding-Electrical-Systems
ELECTRICIAN: UNDERSTANDING ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
LESSON PLAN OVERVIEW
Career: Electricians install, maintain and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Electricians ensure that work is in accordance with established codes. They also install and service main power sources, home systems, and business and industry electrical control systems.
Lesson: This lesson plan includes ways to introduce students to the career of an electrician through understanding basic electrical systems. Students will perform an experiment to understand basic electrical circuits, switches, and current. To demonstrate understanding, students will then create a diagram to wire an assembly line in a factory.
Grade Level: Middle Grades
Learning Objectives:
〉 Students will explore the career of an electrician by learning about series and parallel circuits.
〉 To demonstrate an understanding of electrical systems, students will assume the role of an electrician and create a diagram to wire a new assembly line for a factory.
〉 Students will gain an insight into the electrician profession, including common job tasks, salary, career pathway, and credentials required to perform the job
〉 Student worksheet: Understanding Circuits, Switches, and Current
〉 Aluminum foil
〉 6
〉 3 LED lights (cut from a string of holiday lights)
〉 Tape or glue stick
Activity #2: Wiring an Assembly Line
〉 Student worksheet: Wiring an Assembly Line
〉 Scissors, glue stick, ruler, pencil
TEACHER GUIDE
Lesson Instructions: This lesson plan will help you demonstrate to students common skills and procedures used in the electrician profession. Begin the lesson by reading the Class Message below to your students, then have them watch the recommended Video Introduction. Afterwards, facilitate discussion with the Class Questions below.
After the discussion, students will work on the included activities. Each activity has a printable worksheet with student instructions and areas to record their work. Have students read their worksheets before beginning each activity.
You should also familiarize yourself with the student worksheets to assist them in working through the activities and facilitate the ending activity discussion
Class Message: Today we are going to explore the career of an electrician. When you turn on the lights or an appliance in your home, have you ever thought about the power source and technology it takes to supply power to your home? Almost every building and structure has electrical power for communications, lighting, and heating and air systems that were installed by electricians during construction. Electrical systems power the lights, appliances, and equipment that make people’s lives and jobs easier and more comfortable.
In this lesson, you will perform an experiment to learn about basic electrical circuits, switches, and currents. Then you will apply what you’ve learned by drawing an electrical diagram to add a new assembly line to a factory.
Let’s watch this brief video to better understand the career of an electrician and how electricians affect our everyday lives.
Electrician: Keeping the Lights On (http://tn-caps.com/r/68VEL)
Class Questions:
〉 What do you think electricians do? Possible responses – repair or install electrical wiring in homes or business. Hook up electrical appliances and machinery. Run cable for new homes and businesses
〉 Which industries do you think hire electricians? Possible responses – electrical service companies, home building, commercial building, and manufacturing.
〉 What do electricians do in a manufacturing company? Possible responses – install and maintain the electrical grid for the company, repair wiring on machinery, and install electrical systems for equipment and machines?
Student Activities: This lesson plan includes two student activities. In Activity #1, students will perform an experiment to understand basic electrical circuits, switches, and current. In Activity #2, students are challenged to create a circuit diagram for adding a new assembly line to a factory.
Read and familiarize yourself with the student worksheet for each activity.
Activity #1: Understanding Series and Parallel Circuits
Students will create two circuits that demonstrate series and parallel circuits.
Activity Instructions:
〉 Before handing out worksheets and materials for this activity, show this video on electrical circuits: Electrical Circuits: The Basics.
〉 Hand out the student worksheet.
〉 Facilitate the introduction of the activity.
〉 Students may work individually or in groups.
〉 Hand out experiment materials.
〉 After completion of the activity, facilitate the discussion questions shown below for this activity.
Activity Discussion:
〉 By a show of hands, how many of you used the series circuit? How many of you used a parallel circuit? Explain why you chose that circuit. - Allow students to share their experience.
〉 What did you enjoy the most in this activity? What did you dislike about this activity? - Allow students to share their experience.
〉 How is turning on a light switch at home similar to this experiment? - Possible responses: works just like our activity, when you cut the light on, it closes the circuit for that light and the lights cut on.
〉 What type of circuit is used in homes and why? - Possible responses: parallel circuit, a single electric power source supplies all of the lights and appliances with the same voltage. If a light burns out, the current still flows through the rest of the house.
Activity #2: Wiring an Assembly Line
In this activity, students will create a diagram to wire a new assembly line for a factory to demonstrate an understanding of basic electrical systems.
Activity Instructions:
〉 Hand out the student worksheet.
〉 Facilitate an introduction of the activity.
〉 Students may work individually or in groups.
〉 Hand out the experiment materials (see materials list above).
〉 Facilitate a discussion of the questions for this activity.
Activity Results: Students will create an electrical diagram to wire a new assembly line for a factory
Possible Answer:
Activity Discussion:
〉 What process did you use to layout the elements for the assembly Line? – Possible responses: the order the items were list in the activity description, the order of the icons, and logically determined the order of the processes.
〉 Did you use a series circuit or parallel circuit? Explain why you chose that circuit. Allow students to explain their circuit.
〉 Why do you think it is important for electricians to create electrical diagrams?Possible responses: to use as a roadmap to install electrical wiring, to help design an electrical system before installing, and to help troubleshoot electrical issues after installation.
〉 Now that you have learned more about what electricians do, would you be interested in working as an electrician? Why or why not?
CAREER INSIGHT
Career Highlight: This lesson plan highlights some of the skills an electrician uses on a daily basis to help maintain electrical currents to homes and businesses. See the Employers in My Area section to contact businesses and organizations in your area about classroom demonstrations, onsite visits, or other additional career exposure opportunities.
Featured Career: Electrician
Career Descriptions: Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with established codes. Install and service main power sources, home systems, and business and industry electrical control systems.
Electricians typically do the following:
〉 Read blueprints or technical diagrams
〉 Install and maintain wiring, control, and lighting systems
〉 Inspect electrical components, such as transformers and circuit breakers
〉 Identify electrical problems using a variety of testing devices
〉 Repair or replace wiring, equipment, or fixtures using hand tools and power tools
〉 Follow state and local building regulations based on the National Electrical Code
〉 Direct and train workers to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring or equipment
Other Names for this Career: Industrial Electrician, Inside Wireman, Chief Electrician, Mechanical Trades Specialist, Journeyman Electrician, Electrician, Maintenance Electrician, Control Electrician, Qualified Craft Worker, Electrician (QCW, Electrician), Journeyman Wireman
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Activity #1
Science Standards
〉 Engineering Design 2) Design and test different solutions that impact energy transfer.
〉 Engineering Design 1) Develop a model to generate data for ongoing testing and modification of an electromagnet, a generator, and a motor such that an optimal design can be achieved.
〉 Energy Demonstrate Ohm's Law through the design and construction of simple series and parallel circuits.
Science and Engineering Practices:
〉 Developing and using models to develop explanations for phenomena, to go beyond the observable and make predictions or to test designs.
〉 Planning and carrying out controlled investigations to collect data that is used to test existing theories and explanations, revise and develop new theories and explanations, or assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and durability of designs under various conditions.
〉 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information from scientific texts in order to derive meaning, evaluate validity, and integrate information.
〉 Constructing explanations and designing solutions to explain phenomena or solve problems.
〉 Engaging in argument from evidence to identify strengths and weaknesses in a line of reasoning, to identify best explanations, to resolve problems, and to identify best solutions.
EDUCATOR RUBRIC
ITEM
Following Instructions
Series Circuits
Does Not Meet Expectations
Student was unable to complete the task independently without multiple teacher interventions
Student was unable to independently wire a series circuit and/or explain the difference between series and parallel circuit.
Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Student was able to follow the instructions and complete the task on their own.
Student was able to follow the instructions and complete the task on their own and exhibited leadership in assisting their peers.
Parallel Circuits
Assembly Line Design
Student was unable to independently wire a parallel circuit and/or explain the difference between series and parallel circuit.
Student was able to independently wire a series circuit and/or explain the difference between series and parallel circuit.
Student was able to independently wire a series circuit and/or explain the difference between series and parallel circuit. Student demonstrated a deep understanding of the difference.
Student was able to independently wire a parallel circuit and/or explain the difference between series and parallel circuit.
Student was able to independently wire a parallel circuit and/or explain the difference between series and parallel circuit. Student demonstrated a deep understanding of the difference.
Student design for their assembly line would not properly perform all tasks including a switch that shuts down ALL of the equipment and/or separate switch that can turn off ONLY the testing station
Student design for their assembly line properly perform all tasks including a switch that shuts down ALL of the equipment and/or separate switch that can turn off ONLY the testing station
Student design for their assembly line properly performs all tasks including a switch that shuts down ALL of the equipment and/or separate switch that can turn off ONLY the testing station. Additionally, the attention to detail was excellent.
ACTIVITY #1: UNDERSTANDING SERIES AND PARALLEL CIRCUITS
Introduction: Before performing the experiment, let’s review some basic information on electrical circuits
What is an electrical circuit? An electrical circuit is a path that current flows through. This path can be a closed circuit or an open circuit. A closed circuit makes a loop and electrons flow continuously through the system. An open circuit is where a path is broken and does not allow electrons to flow.
A simple circuit is made up of a power source (battery), a switch (cut on/off), a conductor (wire), and a load (light bulb).
Series Circuits & Parallel Circuits
There are two types of circuits, a series and a parallel circuit.
A series circuit has more than one component (like a resistor or a light bulb) and electricity flows through a single path. If one resistor breaks, the entire circuit will not work. For example, if one light bulb goes out in the series circuit, they all go out. The more resistors in the series circuit drawing on a power sources, the more power will be reduced. Notice that the resistors in the circuit drawing below are on a single path.
In a parallel circuit there is more than one resistor; however, they are located on many different paths. Electricity travels from one end of the power source, such as a battery, through all of the paths to the other end of the power source. In the diagram above, the two resistors (R1 and R2) in the circuit are on different paths.
Activity Procedure:
〉 Step 1: Cut out the strips of aluminum foil for the circuits
〉 Step 2: Cut the LED bulbs from a string of holiday lights.
〉 Step 3: Use tape to attach the foil and the wires of the LEDs to the circuit in the areas of the worksheet.
〉 Step 4: Tape the AAA batteries together, positive to negative, and tape the group of batteries to the worksheet where indicated.
〉 Step 5: Touching the loose end of the foil to the end of the group of batteries completes the circuits.
Activity Discussion:
〉 Did you use a series circuit or parallel circuit to design the circuit? Why did you use that type of circuit?
〉 What did you enjoy or dislike about this activity?
〉 How is turning on a light switch at home similar to this experiment?
〉 What type of circuit is used in homes and why?
ACTIVITY #2: WIRING AN ASSEMBLY LINE
Introduction: Manufacturing uses different processes in producing products. Some production lines make the same product over and over. Some production lines are designed to make different products by making changes to the machines on the line. Some manufacturing lines are designed to assemble one part of a product. For example, an assembly line in a plant that makes cars might assemble all the parts needed to make the engines. Assembly lines often use robots or machines controlled by computer programs. One thing that these ways of manufacturing products all have in common is they all depend on sources of power to run their machines.
Activity Description: You are an electrician for a manufacturer and must create a diagram to wire a new assembly line.
The assembly line consists of:
〉 A motor that runs the conveyor belt
〉 A hydraulic press that shapes the object
〉 A robot that assembles parts
〉 A testing station for final inspection
Design your circuit keeping these requirements in mind:
〉 This assembly line is powered by a single electrical power source.
〉 It must have an emergency switch that shuts down ALL of the equipment.
〉 There must be a separate switch that can turn off ONLY the testing station
Activity Procedure: Using the symbols below, cut out and arrange and paste the parts on paper to create an electrical diagram. Then draw the wires between the parts using either a simple parallel or series circuit to connect all of the parts.
Activity Discussion:
〉 What process did you use to layout the elements for the assembly ine?
〉 Did you use a series circuit or parallel circuit? Explain why you chose that circuit.
〉 Why do electricians need to create and read electrical diagrams?
〉 What do you think the emergency switch is used for? How would having an emergency switch make the assembly line safer?
〉 Now that you have learned more about what electricians do, would you be interested in working as an electrician? Why or why not?
