This past week, I gave pairs of students two wires, a battery, and a flashlight bulb. I presented this challenge - Using these materials, make the light bulb come on. Our kids loved it! They immediately started coming up with configurations to light the bulb. If a plan didn't work, they revised their thinking and developed a new plan. Eventually each team was able to make their bulb light up. I then presented the question - Why is this happening? We used what we had learned about static electricity to infer an explanation. We figured out that the negative charges from the battery flow through the wire, across the filament, back down into the other wire, and into the other side of the battery (the positive side). We learned this is called a complete circuit (it kind of sounds like circle). Electricity always flows from negative to positive to make a complete circuit. Here are some pictures of our young scientists as work...
Julian and Jo'nae are working together to hold the wires and light bulb.
Tymeir and Alex are demonstrating one way to light the bulb. 
Richie and Clayton did an excellent job working together to develop a plan. 
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