Electrical Energy Teaching Resources
Build your electrical energy lesson plans with printable worksheets, activities and Google Slide templates created by teachers for science teachers like you.
This collection of NGSS curriculum-aligned resources includes editable options and resources that our teacher team has already differentiated for you to make science lesson planning easier!
Explore printable and digital versions of our most popular electrical energy activities, including key electricity vocabulary, kid-friendly experiments and projects. Each resource has undergone rigorous review by a Teach Starter teacher team member to ensure it's ready to be used in your classroom.
Whether it's your first year teaching electrifying lessons or you're just looking for some new ideas, we have you covered! Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Electricity? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Electricity is a form of energy that powers many of the devices we use every day, like lights, computers and even some cars.
Electricity is often something we take for granted, but most people in the 21st century would be at a complete loss without it.
Who Invented Electricity? The Real Story of Where It Came From
Electrical energy has always existed in nature — it wasn't invented. But there are specific inventors you might want to teach your students about to help them understand why we have the electrical power we use today.
Colonial inventor Benjamin Franklin is often credited with discovering electricity in 1752. The story goes that Franklin attached a wire to a kite in a thunderstorm to demonstrate that lightning had electrical energy.
This is a popular story ... but it turns out plenty of scientists had worked with electricity before him! English scientist William Gilbert, for example, is credited with coining the term "electricus" in 1600 — later changed to electricity, of course.
His fellow Englishman, Stephen Gray, is credited with discovering the difference between electrical insulators and conductors in the 1720s — nearly 30 years before Benjamin Franklin pulled out his kite.
5 Fun Electricity Facts for Kids to Share With Your Class
Want to zap your class with a bit of excitement to engage them on the topic of electricity? Try using these fun facts about electric to get them hooked:
- Electricity travels fast ... almost as fast as the speed of light!
- There is a fish called an electric eel that can generate electricity. They use this electric power to shock their prey and to defend themselves from predators.
- Our brains use electricity to send messages to the rest of our bodies. These signals tell parts of our body to move or feel.
- Have you ever seen water bend? It's real! Static electricity can actually bend water.
- When a volcano erupts, it can sometimes create electricity and even send out bolts of lightning.
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The Wonders of Circuits – Leveled Comprehension Worksheet Pack
Encourage your students to read and learn about circuits with this leveled worksheet pack.
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Electricity and Circuits Guided Notes
Use this set of guided notes when teaching your students about electricity and circuits.
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Insulators and Conductors Worksheet
Identify different insulators and conductors of thermal and electrical energy with this worksheet.
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Circuit Diagrams Worksheet
A worksheet that explores how to read and write circuit diagrams.
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Energy and Electricity Crossword Puzzle
Reinforce science vocabulary with an energy and electricity crossword puzzle.
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Conductors of Electricity Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Challenge your students to show what they know about electrical conductors with this reading comprehension worksheet.
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Conductors and Insulators Worksheet
Use this insulators and conductors worksheet with your students to practice identifying the characteristics of thermal and electrical energy.
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All About Circuits Mini-Book
Use this mini-book to teach your students about the different types of circuits, symbols, their components and much more.
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How Do Circuits Work? Worksheet
Guide your students to create a diagram that shows complete and incomplete circuits and explain their function with this worksheet.
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Parts of a Circuit Worksheet
Guide your students to identify and label the 4 parts of a circuit with this electrical circuit worksheet.
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The History of Electricity - Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read to learn about the history of electricity with a pack of printable Reading Comprehension worksheets.
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Insulators & Conductors Sorting Activity
Distinguish between insulators and conductors with a picture-based sorting activity.
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Electricity Explained Worksheet
A worksheet that explores the concept of electricity.
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Conductors and Insulators Teaching Slides
Teach your students about insulators and conductors of thermal and electrical energy with this set of teaching slides.
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Electricity Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary for electricity concepts with a science crossword puzzle.
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Electrical Insulators Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Discover the shockingly interesting world of electrical insulators with our downloadable reading comprehension worksheet.
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Insulators and Conductors Poster Set
Teach your students about the characteristics of insulators and conductors with this set of science posters for the classroom.
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Simple Circuit Diagram
Spark curiosity and illuminate young minds with the wonders of electricity. Download this simple circuit diagram to light up your classroom!
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Energy and Electricity Vocabulary Cards
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of word wall cards that focus on forms of energy and electricity.
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It's Electric! - PowerPoint Presentation
Teach your students about electricity with this editable 23-slide teaching PowerPoint.
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Understanding Conductors Teaching Slides
Teach your students about the basics of conductors with this 17-slide teaching presentation.
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Types of Circuits Interactive Task Cards
Test your students’ knowledge of different types of circuits with this set of 24 interactive task cards.
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Famous Inventor Fact File - Alessandro Volta Comprehension Worksheet
Read and learn about Alessandro Volta and his amazing innovations with a Fact File reading passage and comprehension worksheet.
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Forms of Energy – Science Experiments for Kids
Investigate mechanical, electrical, light, thermal, and sound energy with this set of science activities for kids.
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Electricity Word Wall Vocabulary
Use this teacher-created electricity resource to teach electricity-related vocabulary. Build a word wall with your students during your electricity lessons.
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Forms of Energy Poster Pack
Display information about mechanical, electrical, light, thermal and sound energy with this poster pack.
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Forms of Energy & Electricity Vocabulary Worksheets
Review forms of energy and electricity terms with this science vocabulary worksheet pack.
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Circuits Bulletin Board Display
Create a bulletin board displaying different types of circuits and related vocabulary.
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Electricity and Circuits Instructional Slide Deck
Use our editable instructional slide deck to break down the fundamentals of electricity and circuits for your students.
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Understanding Insulators Teaching Slides
Teach your students about electrical and thermal insulators with this teaching presentation.
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Electric Avenue - Understanding the Non-contact Force of Electrostatics PowerPoint
A teaching presentation introducing the students to the non-contact force of electrostatics.
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Electricity Experiment
An experiment to investigate if electricity moves better through different gage wires.