Free Reading Passage – Electricity, Circuits & Energy

Leo clicks on his desk lamp, and that click is where this free electricity reading passage begins. In about 340 words, grades 4–6 learn that electricity is a form of energy, that a battery pushes electrons through copper wires, why metals are conductors and rubber or plastic are insulators, and how a switch opens and closes a circuit. A labeled drawing shows the battery, wire, switch and bulb inside the lamp.

Three question pages move from recall to new situations. Students answer five multiple-choice questions and complete a word study, then put the steps of turning on the lamp in order. They sort six objects, from a brass key to a glass cup, as conductors or insulators and explain why lamp wires use both copper and plastic. On the last question page they predict whether four circuits will light, explain why a paper clip and a wooden stick give different results, and draw a working doorbell circuit.

• Grades 4–6: physical science reading on energy and circuits
• Six pages: one passage page, three question pages and a key on the final two pages
• On the key: common mix-ups and a 10-minute open and closed circuit demo
• Free versions: color, plus a black-and-white copy for low-ink printing