Circuits and current
Build and draw simple circuits, and see why a circuit must be complete.
Planned. This module is part of the plan and is not written yet.Handled with care: read the note under Practicalities before using this module.
Why it matters
A torch with a loose battery won't light, and neither will a lamp with a broken wire. Electricity only flows round a complete loop.
Draft outline · in review- For
- Level 7–8 · JSS 1 to JSS 2
- Inside
- 5 lessons and a test · about 60 minutes
- Topic
- Electricity · foundation, 1 of 4
Inside the module.
5 lessons in order, about 60 minutes in all, then a short test. Learners go at their own pace; the minutes are a guide, not a timetable.
Draft outline · in review
Lesson 1: What a circuit needs
A source, a path and something to power, joined in an unbroken loop.
Explain10 min, from minute 0
Lesson 2: Light a bulb
With low-voltage batteries, or the simulator, light a bulb and add a switch.
Lab20 min, from minute 10
Lesson 3: Break the loop
Open the circuit in different places and see what happens each time.
Investigate10 min, from minute 30
Lesson 4: Circuit symbols
Draw your circuits with the standard symbols for cells, bulbs, switches and wires.
Practice15 min, from minute 40
Lesson 5: Check your skills
Will it light? Read and draw circuit diagrams.
Review5 min, from minute 55
End-of-module test
Build or simulate simple circuits, explain why each must be a complete loop, and draw circuit diagrams with standard symbols.
Mastered at 85% or more. Retake it until you pass; nothing is lost, and each try gives feedback.
Already know it? A Challenge Test (planned) clears the whole module: 90% overall, no objective below 75%.
Last stageafter about 60 min
Practicalities
Draft outline · in reviewHandle with care
Experiments use low-voltage batteries only, never mains electricity. The facilitator's safety notes come first.
Built to run offline
Planned to run on the Lantern's own computer, with no internet needed.
Beyond the screen
Needs materials
Materials
A battery pack of 3–6 V (AA cells in a holder), Insulated wires with crocodile clips, A small torch bulb in a holder and A simple switch (a paper clip and two drawing pins will do)
Languages
Planned first in English; every module aims to reach all of the Lantern's languages.
Try a question.
One question from the module, as a learner would meet it. Have a go, then open the worked solution a step at a time.
Draft outline · in review
A bulb, a battery and two wires are set up, but one wire touches only the battery, not the bulb. Does the bulb light?
Particulars
Where it sits
What a learner can do after it
- Build or simulate a simple circuit and explain why it must be a complete loop.
- Draw circuit diagrams with standard symbols.
Needs first
This module has no prerequisites of its own. Like every first step, it assumes the Digital skills gateway: the first module on using a computer, which a Challenge Test clears in minutes.
Level
Level 7–8 · JSS 1 to JSS 2
Level mappings are approximate. A qualified teacher or lecturer in each country must check them before they appear in the app.
Difficulty for its level
1 of 4 · Foundation
Time
About 60 minutes
Alignments
- Aligned to NERDCpartial · in reviewNERDC Basic Science and Technology, JSS: electricity (descriptive ref)
- Aligned to GCSEintroduces · in reviewGCSE Physics: electricity, circuit diagrams (descriptive ref)
Alignment in review until a qualified teacher or lecturer checks it. No exam body, university or vendor endorses us; learners still sit the real exam.
Challenge Test
Planned: a Challenge Test to prove you know it and skip it. Pass at 90% overall, with no objective below 75%.
University courses it previews
Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery
On these pathways
The route here.
Everything this module builds on, drawn as a route from its foundations. Solid lanes must be mastered first, or cleared by a Challenge Test; dashed lanes are suggestions that never lock anything.
This module has no prerequisites of its own. Like every first step, it assumes the Digital skills gateway: the first module on using a computer, which a Challenge Test clears in minutes.
Help light the room where this is learned.
Every route on this map starts in a classroom with 24 stations, a tutor that works offline and a facilitator upstairs. Four are planned and waiting for light.