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Grades 6-10. As students participate in the inquiries in the Investigating Circuit Design unit, they begin to develop their own understanding of the meaning of electrical current, voltage, power, and electrical energy. They investigate how electrical energy is transferred in electrical circuits and how devices transform electrical energy into other forms of energy. This Student eGuide allows students and teachers 24/7 access to their STC-Secondary content for this unit. Access for 32 students per year for 60 months.

Grades 6-10. Electrical energy is a vital part of modern living. It powers a vast number of devices that we use daily, from lightbulbs, televisions, and computers to vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Although students may come to the Investigating Circuit Design unit with seemingly limited experience with electrical energy, they actually use it routinely—playing with battery-powered toys, watching television, listening to MP3s, and playing video games. Our increasing reliance on electrical energy and the need to generate more electrical power underscores the need for students to understand the nature of electricity. The term "electricity" is used to describe many phenomena associated with electrical energy and electrical circuits. As students participate in the inquiries in this unit, they begin to develop their own understanding of the meaning of electrical current, voltage, power, and electrical energy. They investigate how electrical energy is transferred in electrical circuits and how devices transform electrical energy into other forms of energy.

STC-Secondary™ is a 16-unit, inquiry-centered middle school science curriculum developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC). Each STC-Secondary™ unit provides opportunities for students to experience scientific phenomena firsthand. A comprehensive, research-based curriculum, STC-Secondary™ is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards*.

Designed to enhance the teaching of the Science and Technology Concepts Program in the classroom, the STC Student eGuide allows students and teachers 24/7 access to their STC-Secondary content. Access for 32 students per year for 60 months.

*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.