Data Sheet

How to Use SnapCircuits
®
Assembling the build-your-own electromagnet:
You need the coil, an iron core rod, a grommet, and the 2-spring socket
(?1).
Wrap the coil around one of the iron core rods, leaving about 3 inches
free at both ends. Place a grommet on the end of the rod to help keep
the coil wire from coming off it.
Check that some of the protective coating has been removed
at each end, leaving about half an inch of bare wire. If the coil
wire is broken (or later gets broken) then use sandpaper or
steel wool to scrape off the protective coating for about half an
inch at each end.
Connect the bare wire ends to the springs on the 2-spring
socket (the springs must connect to the wire where the varnish
has been removed, otherwise it won’t make electrical contact).
GUIDELINESFORUSEINCLASSROOMSORHOMESCHOOLING:
This product is a tool for opening the exciting world of electronics, and its relationship to
magnetism. Following the Learn by Doing
®
concept, electronics & magnetism will be easy
for students to understand by using Snap Circuits
®
to build circuits as they learn about them.
This kit emphasizes the practical applications of electronics, without bogging down in math-
ematics. This course is as much about science as about electronics & magnetism.
Why should students learn about electronics? Electronics plays an important and increasing
role in their everyday lives, and so some basic knowledge of it is good for all of them. Learn-
ing about it teaches how to do scientific investigation, and the projects develop basic skills
needed in today's world.
This product is intended for ages 8 and up. The only prerequisite is basic reading skills.
It should take about 6 hours to do this entire book, or about 2 hours to read the Introduction
to Electricity (page 9) and do just the educational summary projects (shown on page 12).
Teachers should review the Project Listing (page 12) and decide what is best.
INSTRUCTOR PREPARATION/ORGANIZATION
● Determine what the learning environment will be. Will the students be learning independ-
ently or in small groups? How much teacher instruction will there be for each section?
Will the students be reading the lesson as homework and then have limited teacher in-
struction before performing the experiments? Decide when quizzes will be given and
how they will be organized.
● Allocate time within the session as needed for:
● Teacher instruction about the topics being covered during the session.
● Getting the Snap Circuits
®
components into the workspace.
● Teacher instruction about the specific projects to be performed during that ses-
sion.
● Building and testing the circuits.
● Performing experiments (and teacher verification if desired).
● Dismantling the circuits and returning Snap Circuits
®
components to storage area.
● Reassembling the class for review.
● Make sure the students know their objectives for the day, how much time they will need
for cleanup, and where the materials are being stored.
● Students must understand that there are usually many ways of making the same circuit,
and that the instructor may not know all the answers. They are doing scientific investi-
gation, and many circuit projects suggest variations to experiment with.
● Have students review the DO’s and DON’Ts of Building Circuits on page 10 at the begin-
ning of each session.
Answers to quiz questions are at www.snapcircuits.net/scstem1 .
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