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Everyday Machines / Week 06 / Machine Day
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Week 06 · The Light Switch

Machine Day

Machine Day: Switch Hunt
// A loop, a gap and a glow
⏱ about 15 min

Machine Day: Switch Hunt

Rocket counts switches. "Lamp, wall, flashlight, toy, fan!"

Raven writes them down in her notebook.

"What do you notice they all do?" she asks.

Nova glows on and off. "Loop, gap, loop, gap."

  1. Electricity flows only around a complete loop, a circuit.
  2. A switch closes the loop to turn the light on.
  3. A switch opens a gap to turn the light off.
  4. A battery pushes. A bulb turns electricity into light.
  5. Kids look at wall switches. Grown-ups handle them.
◇ FAMILY SWITCH HUNT
Walk through your home with your family.
Find every switch you can: lamps, toys, flashlights, fans.
A grown-up flips each wall switch while you watch.
Count the switches in each room.
Pick one and tell how its loop works.
For a grown-up
Flip the wall switches yourself and let the child watch the bulb.
Find a battery toy with a switch the child may flip.
Ask: where is the gap when it is off?
Safety first
Never touch an outlet, a plug or a cord with wire showing.
Kids flip only battery toys and flashlights.
A grown-up flips wall switches.
Hands dry before touching anything electrical.
SWITCH HUNT CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
A toy switch is off. Where is the gap?
Which one may a kid flip?
SentenceTrue or false?
A lamp switch and a flashlight switch both use a loop.?
Kids poke outlets on a switch hunt.?
A closed loop turns the light on.?
WHY THIS EXERCISESwitches are everywhere, and they all open or close a loop.
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