Fifth Graders Explore Electricity

The lesson featured a hands-on demonstration with the Van de Graaff generator allowing students to visualize and feel the effects of static electricity and provide a tangible understanding of concepts like positive and negative charges, electrical fields, and the forces that act between charged objects.

Before jumping into the experiment, students learned about how the Van de Graaff generator device uses a moving belt to transfer electrical charge to a hollow metal sphere. As the generator builds up a large static charge on its surface, it causes dramatic effects, like making hair stand on end or producing small sparks. Students were called up individually and in pairs (demonstrating how electricity can transfer between two bodies!) to place their hands on the metal sphere. As the charge built up, their hair started to lift, producing much laughter!

Students also reached for small pieces of styrofoam that immediately jumped away, demonstrating how static electricity can cause objects to move without direct contact. More than just a fun spectacle, the Van de Graaff generator allowed students to not only witness the effects of static electricity but also understand the physics behind it. 

Upper School science learning experiences are designed to mirror the practices of an authentic science research lab. We believe science education thrives when it engages students’ curiosity and encourages them to experience concepts firsthand.