Trip Wire

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In this activity, learners build simple alarms that they can attach to anything, such as a drawer or doorway. This activity introduces learners to electricity, circuits, and currents. Note: a drill and drill bit are required for this project, and are not included in the cost of materials. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 11
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 1 clothespin
  • 1 buzzer
  • 1 battery
  • 1 small piece of foil
  • 6" electrical wire
  • 18+" fishing line
  • 1 popsicle stick
  • 2 dowels
  • 2 blocks of wood
  • scissors
  • electrical tape
  • hot glue gun
  • wire strippers
  • drill

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electric Charges and Currents
      • Electric Circuits
    • Energy
      • Energy and Power
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Electronics
  • Toys

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • hear
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Uses STEM to solve real-world problems
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Fresno Community Science Workshop

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Fresno Community Science Workshop, 2012