An Energy Stick is an excellent gadget for teaching circuits in primary schools. It’s relatively inexpensive and you just need one to use with a whole class to make an impact.

What does it do?

The energy stick is quite simple to use. If you are on your own, just hold each metal end in your bare hands. This will be enough to make a circuit and the stick will light up and make a buzzing sound. You are completing the circuit with your body, from one end up one arm down the other arm to the other end.

If two people hold an end each, the stick will only buzz when the two people touch and so complete a circuit.

The Energy Stick has a highly sensitive circuit that’s able to detect very small amounts of electricity that travel across your skin.

How can you use it?

Get a group of students to hold hands in a circle. Put the energy stick between two of the students, one holding each end. The stick should flash and buzz showing there’s a circuit being made.

Ask different pairs of students to let go of their hands. They’ll break the circuit and the stick will go quiet.

Repeat this a few times. Emphasise to the students the need for a complete circuit to make the stick work.

You could take this further and give one pair in the circuit something to hold between them, such as a metal spoon or a wooden spatula. Do these things conduct or insulate?

I’ve had students start to ask their own questions – what if I touch the person next to me on the fabric on their shoulder, or on their metal bangle/watch? What if I touch their hair? Encourage them to try it out and see what happens.

They should be able to see lots of different things that are insulators and conductors in this way.

You can have a whole class make a circuit in this way. The most I’ve managed to do it with is about 150 people in a lecture theatre at the Science Museum and it still worked!

Thanks to the Primary Initial Teacher Training students at Billericay SCITT for letting me use their photo of the energy stick in action during one of my lectures!

Disclaimer – this blog uses affiliate links. If you purchase the stick from Amazon I’ll get a small percentage.