Throughout the week (or 2 weeks, maybe), we worked on learning about energy and circuits. Because we were in the "Sustainable Energy" unit, our teacher arranged times for us to go to the science lab below us (if you drilled a hole below our class, you would have to walk only a few meters to get to the science lab).
In the first class, we learned about circuits. A circuit is a little like a circle, and is used to pass the current of electricity along. We had a box, where we had to figure out how to use some wires, a battery, and make a bulb light up. Because I had never done it before, I found it a little challenging at first (like, the very, very, first - I know it doesn't make sense), but I got the hang of it and found out how to make it work. After that, we had to find out how to make the bulb brighter with 2 batteries. Ok, yes, it was pretty obvious. We just used 4 clippers and connected it to one lightbulb. 2 batteries would be able to power up a lightbulb and make it brighter. Ok, after everyone was done connecting the 2 batteries to the lightbulb (It only made it slightly brighter), we had to make the bulb even brighter. Because we had joined forces, we now had 8 clippers to use, and we had already used 4. My partner, James, thought "More electrons, more light. The clippers are used to let electrons pass, so all we have to do is add extra clippers!" It worked. After completing all these activities, we had to do some paperwork. (Sometimes I just wish we can just do fun things and not do paperwork - LOL) After 2 days, we went down for the science lab again for our 2nd activity - learning about how switches work. We had everything we used in the 1st activity, but we had a cardboard, 2 fasteners, and a paper clip. Because I already knew a little about conductors of electricity, it was pretty easy for me. We just had to put the paper clips through the fasteners, and poke the 2 fasteners through the cardboard. Under the cardboard, we put the clippers at the end of the fasteners so we can ensure that the fasteners don't fall off, and the electricity gets passed onto the fasteners, which are conductors of electricity. Paper clips are made of metal, and metal is a conductor of electricity, so it can pass the current of electricity to the clippers, which will transfer the electricity to the lightbulb so it can light up. If you pull the paper clip upwards, you would brake the circuit, and the lightbulb would turn off.
In the 3rd and final activity, we worked on "circuit puzzles". We all had a "booklet", which had names of fruits on them. This was so we could see what puzzles we had already done, and which puzzles we needed to work on. On the top, there were holes. We could see foil in some of the holes, and in some of the holes, there were no foil, so it was black. The foil was connected to other holes, and we had to use 2 clippers and touch the parts with foil to see which parts were connected and which parts were not. If the foil was connected, the lightbulb would light up, indicating that the circuit was complete. Your goal was to find all the places where the foil was connected, write down what you think, and flip the first page to see what was under. If you was correct, you would get happiness, and if you was wrong, it was okay.
From these 3 classes, I learned that things as simple as a paper clip and cardboard can make lots of things happen. Small things really have the potential to make a miracle.
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