Holiday Lights: Play-Doh Circuits – Teacher Guide

Summary

Students build parallel and series circuits using Play-Doh, LED diodes, and a 9-volt battery, then connect their observations to how real holiday lights work. This hands-on teacher guide walks through a five-part investigation covering LED polarity, circuit behavior, and voltage and current distribution. Best suited for middle school physical science, though the optional challenge and extension activities can stretch it for introductory high school use.