STEM & Maker Activity 27

Paper Circuit
Supplies, instructions, resources, and worksheets are below!

Paper Circuit Card


Project Description
In this STEM project, you’ll learn about simple electrical circuit that can be added to paper by designing a robot card that uses electricity and a LED light.

Activity Time
1 day
Copper tape can give a bad paper cut, adult supervision recommended

Supplies Recommended
Investigative Worksheet
Robot Card Template
Alternative Blank Card Template to create your own design
Copper tape (1 spool), part # PRT-10561
2032 coin cell batteries (1 or more), part # PRT-00338
LEDs (1 or more), part # COM-12062
Parts can be purchased at SparkFun or elsewhere
Construction paper (optional)
Clear tape
Scissors
Pliers (optional)
Paper clip or binder clip
Markers, colored pencils, or crayons

Learning Objectives
Gain understanding of electricity and how circuits work
Improve creativity, design, and engineering skills
Improve critical thinking

Vocabulary Terms to Understand
Look up each word and write their definition on paper.
battery
electrical circuit
conductor
copper
electricity
flow
insulator
Leads
LED
loop
open circuit
polarity
short circuit
trace
voltage

Instructional Videos

Instructions
1. Print the Investigative Worksheet and use it to document your project.
2. Print the Robot Template or Blank Template if you wish to create a custom design.
2. Watch the instructional video above for how to design and assemble the electrical circuit and LED light. There are additional instructional resources below that you can also read and study.
3. Research paper circuits and how they work using the Research Center.
3. Color your Robot Card or create your custom art design using markers, colored pencils, or crayons.
4. Assemble your paper current as shown in the instructional video or additional resources below.
5. Take a picture of your finished Paper Circuit Card and send it to us at info@discoveryk12.com and we’ll post it in the Multipurpose.

Questions
What is electricity?
What is a paper circuit?

Resources
Simple Paper Circuit
The Great Big Guide to Paper Circuits
Paper Circuit Activity (more challenging)
Paper Circuit Protocol
STEM Paper Circuit Light Up Card
Lesson on Circuits (challenging)
How Circuits Work