Lesson Title: ​Intro to Electricity 

Grade Level: ​1st  

State Standards Connection: 
ILO: 
Standard 1 
Objective 2:​ Communicating Science: Communicating effectively using science language 
and reasoning 
Indicator B: ​Sharing ideas with peers.  
Specific Lesson Objective: 
Students will observe and communicate different objects that do and don’t use electricity. 
Lesson Purpose:  
How does electricity affect our everyday lives? 
Vocabulary Focus: 
Electricity:​ A source of energy that has a charge.  
Materials: ​What is Electricity?​ By Lisa Trumbauer, KWL chart (25), print out of vocab words 
and definitions 
Anticipated Time Frame: ​30-45 minutes 
____________________________________________________________________________ 
Engage and Launch: (10-15 min) 
1. Ask students what they already know about electricity and write it on the KWL 
chart. 
2. Ask students what they would ​like​ to know about electricity and write it on the 
KWL chart. 
3. Display vocabulary words and go through them with students.  
a. Electricity:​ A source of energy (that has a charge).  
4. Ask students to think of things that use electricity and talk in groups at their desk 
clusters, then have them share their ideas. 
5. Read ​What Is Electricity?​ By Lisa Trumbauer. Make sure to pause and ask questions 
to promote critical thinking. 
6. Discuss the read-aloud and ask the students questions. 
a. Were you surprised by anything in this book that uses electricity? 
b. What was something you learned from this book? 
7. Have students finish writing on their KWL chart new things that they learned 
about electricity. 
 
Teacher  Ask questions, assess prior knowledge. 
Role: 
 Student Role:  Has an interest, calls up prior knowledge. 
 
Explore: (10-15 min) 
1. Have students walk around the classroom and write down things that use 
electricity. (Inform them that anything that is plugged into a wall or uses batteries 
uses electricity.) 
2. Have students go back to their desks and share with their clusters what they wrote 
down. 
3. Bring class back together and have students share with the class some things they 
wrote down. 
 
Teacher  Questions and probes, provides feedback. 
Role: 

Student Role:  Records observations and ideas. 

 
Explain/Summarize: (5 minutes) 
1. Review: 
a. What is electricity? 
b. What have we learned? 
c. Does the projector use electricity? 
d. Do the light bulbs use electricity? 
e. Does your shoe use electricity? 
f. Does a campfire use electricity? 
 
Teacher  Asks for evidence and clarification from students. 
Role: 

Student Role:  Shares understandings for feedback, communicates understandings 

using recorded observations. 
 
Elaborate/Extend: (2-3 minutes) 
1. Go home and write down 3-5 things that use electricity 
 
Teacher  Provides feedback, asks questions. 
Role: 
Student Role:  Applies new knowledge by performing related tasks. 
 
Evaluate/Assess: 
1. Assess throughout the lesson 
a. Are students understanding and answering the questions? 
b. Are they participating in the activities? 
 
Teacher  Ask open-ended questions. 
Role: 

Student Role:  Demonstrates an understanding of a skill or concept. 

 
Adaptations for Gifted/Talented, ELL and Special Education: 
- Vocab words with pictures and definitions written out. 
- Handout with notes. 
- Have KWL Chart accessible on a computer. 
- For early finishers: have them draw a picture of something electrical and write a 
sentence about it. Or have them draw how electricity goes from the power plant to 
their house based on what we read in the book. 
 
 

   
 KWL Chart 
Name: _____________________ Date: _____________  
Topic: _____________________ 
 

What I Know  What I Want to Know  What I Learned