Electricity & CircuitsGrade 4 Science for Kids

Conductors and insulators, complete circuits and making bulbs brighter.

Electricity & Circuits helps fourth graders test which materials let electricity flow, build a circuit step by step and add batteries to make a bulb shine brighter. Interactive electricity lessons with no wires needed.

  • Grade 4 · Ages 9–10
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Conductors and Insulators
  • Circuit Tester
  • Complete Circuits
  • Build a Circuit
  • Brighter Bulbs
  • Battery Boost

Science lab course · Grade 4

Electricity & Circuits · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Test which materials let electricity flow, build a circuit step by step, and add batteries to make a bulb shine brighter.

  • Metals conduct electricity. Plastic, rubber and wood are insulators.
  • Electricity only flows around a complete circuit. A switch opens and closes the loop.
  • More batteries in a line push more electricity, so the bulb glows brighter.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • How things work

    Circuits explain how lights, toys and devices get power.

  • Safety

    Knowing about conductors and insulators helps kids stay safe around electricity.

  • STEM foundations

    Circuits are the first step toward electronics, robotics and engineering.

Inside Electricity & Circuits

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Conductors and Insulators

    Electricity is a flow of tiny charged particles called electrons.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Circuit Tester

    Let's put different things into a gap in a circuit. If the bulb lights up, it's a conductor!

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Complete Circuits

    A circuit is a complete loop that electricity flows around.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Build a Circuit

    Let's build a circuit that lights a bulb. Put the parts in order around the loop.

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Brighter Bulbs

    A battery gives a push called voltage.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Battery Boost

    Let's add batteries one at a time to our circuit and measure how bright the bulb glows.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Conductors and Insulators

Electricity is a flow of tiny charged particles called electrons.

Conductors let electricity flow easily. Most metals are good conductors.

Insulators block electricity. Plastic, rubber and wood are insulators.

Wires are metal inside and plastic outside, to keep us safe.

Complete Circuits

A circuit is a complete loop that electricity flows around.

It needs a power source (battery), wires and something to power, like a bulb.

A switch opens or closes the loop. Open loop: no flow!

Brighter Bulbs

A battery gives a push called voltage.

Adding more batteries in a line gives a bigger push.

A bigger push makes more electricity flow, so the bulb shines brighter.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Look at a flashlight together. Open it and trace the path electricity takes from the battery to the bulb and back.

Circuit Tester

  1. With a grown-up, connect a battery, a small bulb and wires with a gap.
  2. Touch different objects across the gap.
  3. Never test with plugs or wall sockets!

Metals conduct electricity. Plastic, rubber and wood are insulators.

Build a Circuit

  1. Use a circuit kit, or a battery, foil strips and a small bulb with a grown-up.
  2. Make a full loop and the bulb lights.
  3. Break the loop. What happens?

Electricity only flows around a complete circuit. A switch opens and closes the loop.

Battery Boost

  1. With a grown-up, light a small bulb with one battery.
  2. Add a second battery facing the same way.
  3. Is it brighter? (Use a kit made for this.)

More batteries in a line push more electricity, so the bulb glows brighter.

Practice

Grade 4 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Electricity & Circuits. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    Which is a good conductor?

    • A.Rubber
    • B.Copper
    • C.Plastic
    Show answer

    Copper

  2. Question 2

    What is a circuit?

    • A.A kind of battery
    • B.A light bulb
    • C.A complete loop for electricity
    Show answer

    A complete loop for electricity

  3. Question 3

    What happens with more batteries in a line?

    • A.The bulb gets brighter
    • B.The bulb gets dimmer
    • C.Nothing
    Show answer

    The bulb gets brighter

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Electricity & Circuits · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Electricity & Circuits is a grade 4 science course for kids ages 9–10. That is Year 5 science in the UK and Year 4 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Test which materials let electricity flow, build a circuit step by step, and add batteries to make a bulb shine brighter. Along the way they practice: Metals conduct electricity. Plastic, rubber and wood are insulators; Electricity only flows around a complete circuit. A switch opens and closes the loop; More batteries in a line push more electricity, so the bulb glows brighter.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Electricity & Circuits is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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