For the past couple of weeks the students have been learning about electrical circuits. At first they were asked what they thought it was. They had some very diverse and insightful ideas about what they thought it was. The students were taught what circuits were as well as many of key concepts behind a circuit. They were introduced to a circuit simulator program called Falstad. On Falstad they were able to create their own circuits and observe the way how current flows through a circuit. These circuits would include a power source (alternating and direct current), resistors, wires, diodes (allows current to go in one direction) and LEDs( Light Emitting Diodes). In the lesson these components and concepts were described in how they are used in the students everyday lives. For many of the students this topic brought a lot of interest and excitement.
Here is the link to the Falstad simulator program
www.falstad.com/circuit/
Below are the notes that the 8th graders worked on and the output of a created Falstad Circuit
DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice aims to bridge the digital divide by combining media literacy and cultural awareness along with a vast understanding of technology to encourage young women in under served communities to pursue careers in computer science and new media.
