PAPER ANIMAL-TRONICS

Lesson Plan for Discovery Lab, Science

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

Learners will explore circuits by creating

moving animatronics.

INFORMATION

1. An electric circuit has to have a power

source, wires for the electricity to flow
through, and a device such as a lamp or a motor that uses the electric current. All
of these parts must be connected so that the current continues to flow.

MATERIALS NEEDED

● Cardstock paper ● Servos ● AA Batteries

● Scissors ● Controllers ● Tape

(motherboards)
● Trays
● Battery source

VOCABULARY

1. Circuit: A circuit is a complete path around which electricity can flow. It must
include a source of electricity, such as a battery. Materials that allow electric
current to pass through them easily, called conductors, can be used to link the
 positive and negative ends of a battery, creating a circuit.

ACTIVITY
Part I Intro to Circuit Parts: During this experiment guests will have three major parts
to create their circuit:
1. The Controller: This blue box with the dial is where all the pieces will be plugged
into. On the back of the controller are instructions for how to operate in three
different modes- manual mode, neutral mode & automatic mode.
2. The Power: The battery pack is the power source to our circuit. To begin, plug the
battery source into the right side of the controller. Try plugging it in until the
controller lights up blue, this indicates that the circuit now has power.
3. The Servo: The servo is a motor with a
propeller. Plug the servo into the left side
of the controller. Once plugged in, move
the dial on the controller and this will
move the propeller.
4. To begin, have guests explore the three
circuit parts described above, and lead
them through connecting all the pieces in
that order. During this process, go over
what a circuit is, you can refer back to the
Information portion of the lesson plan.
5. Once guests have learned how to connect and operate their circuit, guests can
begin to create their background (leaf) and their garden critter (insect, mammals,
reptiles etc.).
Part II Let the Crafting Begin: Guests will now grab their paper leaf templates, critter
templates, & scissors.
1. First step is for the participants to begin cutting out their leaf and critter of choice.
When their leaf is done, come around and punch one hole into the leaf. (The hole
puncher will not be able to reach the center, so it will be off-center which is
perfectly normal)
2. Once completed, guests will begin to assemble their animatronic:
a. Take the servo and gently remove the propeller and place it to the side.
 b. From here, there will be a white knob where
the propeller once was and we will place our
leaf’s hole around the knob then place the
propeller back into its original spot.
c. Help guests then create a tape loop to place
onto the propeller. The garden critter will
then be placed on top of the propeller.
d. From here, have the learners move their
controller dial back and forth to simulate the
garden critter moving on the leaf!
i. Tip: The controller has a small button
on the bottom left corner. By pressing
it, this changes the controller settings
(manual, neutral & automatic).
e. At the end of the lab, encourage guests to
take their leaf and critter home, but they
cannot take any of the circuits home! (keep a careful eye on this because
they tend to walk off…)

Resources:

● electric circuit - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

● Electrical Circuits For Kids | Circuit Types | DK Find Out
Notes/Lesson Edits:

Guest Suggestion: Offer a circuit handout for kids to take home with them.