Engineering Explorers

Step 1: Gather materials.

• Assorted materials such as aluminum foil, cardboard scraps, cloth, foam, paper scraps, pompoms, ribbon, string, tinsel, tissues, tissue paper, or yarn
• Balloons (depending on the age of the children, it may be helpful to blow up the balloons beforehand)
• Oscar and the Bird: A Book about Electricity by Geoff Waring
• Sweater, carpet or hair

Step 2: Introduce activity.

1. Introduce the activity with these questions and give the children time to contribute to the discussion: "Have you ever rubbed a balloon on your head and made your hair stand up? Have you ever walked across the carpet in your socks and received a shock from a doorknob? These are examples of static electricity."
2. Read Oscar and the Bird: A Book about Electricity.
3. Inform the children that they are going to investigate electricity.
4. Introduce the children to the concept of static electricity. Say: "Static electricity is the result of the buildup of electrons on something, giving it an electric charge. It's called static electricity because the charge stays in the same place."
5. Discuss static electricity and how we experience it. Say: "Static electricity is all about the charge of an object and how charged objects interact. When two objects rub against each other, the electrons move from one object to the other. Friction between two objects causes this attraction or repulsion, such as when you slide down a slide or rub your feet on the carpet. Usually, static electricity is harmless. Does your hair ever stick to the back of your chair or do you ever feel a zap when you touch someone? The zap you feel when you touch someone is an example of the electric charge discharging onto another object. This is static electricity."
6. Say: "Lightning is the result of too much static electricity in the sky. This is an example of when static electricity can be dangerous."
7. Say: "Static electricity isn't always a nuisance." Give examples such as: "Static electricity is used for ink printers and spray paint, to make the ink and paint stick to the paper."

Step 3: Engage children in lesson activities.

1. Gather your materials.
2. Blow up the balloons or pass out the blown-up balloons.
3. Touch the balloons to each of the different materials, including the other balloons. None of the materials will be attracted to the balloons.
4. Rub the balloons vigorously against sweaters or hair for 30 seconds. This will add electrons to the balloons and cause them to become negatively charged.
5. Now touch the balloons to each of the materials. Observe what happens.
6. Continue asking questions about the different materials as the children test them. Say: "Listen carefully. Do you hear a crackle or a pop when you touch your charged balloon to any of the objects?"
7. Some of the objects will be picked up by the balloon only to fall right back down. Ask: "What other objects might stick to the balloon? What about your hair or the wall?"

Step 4: Engineering vocabulary

• Electricity: A physical phenomenon that can produce light, heat and power
• Static: Not in physical motion; a static charge stays in one area rather than moving or "flowing" to another area
• Static electricity: Produced by friction, static electricity is the result of the buildup of electrons on something, which gives it an electric charge (Why is it called static electricity? Because the charge stays in the same place.)

Step 5: Extensions

• This activity works best on a dry day. Sunny, frosty winter days are ideal. You can also repeat the activity on a damp day and compare the results.