Lesson: Light Up the Night

Introduce the article with a discussion of diverse holiday traditions.

• Ask students: What’s a holiday tradition you and your family celebrate? When do you celebrate it? Do you display decorations as part of the celebration? What do they look like?
• Share images from the article. Ask: Have you seen displays like this? Let students describe their experiences. Ask: What do you think the lights need so they work? (wires, electricity, etc.) 

Watch a video about electricity and read an article about a light display.

• Show students the video “What Is Electricity?” Together, define and give examples of terms like: electric current (flow of electricity), conductors (materials that can carry electricity), insulators (materials that stop the flow of electricity), electric circuits (paths through which electric currents flow). Connect the vocabulary to examples like flipping a light switch.
• Read the article as a class, pausing to discuss vocabulary. Examine the “Comparing Lights” diagram. Ask: What are some differences between incandescent and LED bulbs? (LEDs stay cooler and last longer.)

Connect facts from the article with students’ personal experiences.

• Let student pairs work together to complete the article’s Quick Quiz.
• Distribute the My Reading Journal skills sheet. Read the instructions and the first entry. Discuss why it is a factual statement. (It can be proved by measuring/counting; it’s not based on opinion, etc.) Brainstorm examples of entries that could go in the “My Connections” column. Have students share their responses.

Model how electricity flows through a circuit by playing a game.

• Introduce the game “Circuit Maker.” Explain that it models how electricity flows from a battery, which is a power source different from an outlet, to a light bulb. Explain the game’s goal: to make a circuit that lets electrons flow from a battery through a bulb and back to the battery. The circuit can include conductors but should avoid insulators. 
• Have students play the game. Then ask students to draw one complete, closed circuit that would light a bulb and one incomplete, open circuit that would not. Discuss the difference between a closed circuit and an open circuit.

Complete a STEAM design challenge.

• Distribute and discuss the Design a Light Show skills sheet. Have students complete the assignment and share their designs in small groups or in a socially distanced gallery walk.
• Have students vote on their favorite designs and explain their picks.

⇨ Learning Journey: What are your favorite winter memories? Choose one you want to share with others. Think about how you would describe it with a beginning, middle, and end. Then write a short story or graphic novel about your memory.