California Career and Technical Education Standards

• ANR.B.B3.4 Understand proper basic electrical circuit and wiring techniques with nonmetalli...
• ANR.FS.11.0 Demonstration and Application

California Academic Content Standards (Reinforced)

• ELA.9-10.R.CAGT.2.6 Demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical direction...2

• This switch doesn't work! - Hooks / Set

  Install a damaged switch or trip the circuit breaker that controls the lights in the classroom. As the students enter the room do not allow them to touch the light switch. When the class starts ask one of the students to turn on the lights. Now ask the class, "What might be the problem with this circuit." Wait for responses. Listen for students to say "It is a faulty switch of wire". Now ask, "if this is due to a faulty switch, or bad wire, how many of you would know how to change it?" Today we are going to learn about how to identify and prepare wire to install circuits.
• Electrical Wire Identification Power Point - Lecture

  Handout the "electrical wire ID" worksheet (see below) to each student and have them use it to take notes on the presentation using the Electrical Wire ID power point. It would be helpful to have various types and sizes of wire on hand as demonstrations.
• Electrical Wire Preparation - Demo / Modeling

  You will need the following materials for the this demonstration: One small piece (6-8 inches) of insulated copper or aluminum electrical wire (12-14 gauge), one pair of wire strippers, one pair of diagonal cutters, one screw driver (standard or Phillips) and a switch or duplex receptacle. Demonstrate to small groups of students (4-5 per group) how to properly strip the end of the electrical wire (approximately 3/4 of an inch) and bend in to a loop (bend the wire just above the insulation at a 90 degree angle then clamp the end of the wire a pair of strippers or diagonal cutter and twist the wire into a clock wise loop) (see the attached videos below titled, "How to make a loop #1 and How to make a loop #2). Attach the wire to one of the terminals on the switch or receptacle (be sure that the wire is clockwise around the terminal). Tighten the terminal screw. (see video below titled "How to attach the loop to a screw terminal"). You may want to simply show each of the videos to the whole class instead of doing the demo several times. This depends on your access to technology and/or your class sizes.

  • Electrical Wire ID [ Download ] Use this power point to teach students about various types and sizes of wire
  • How to make a loop #1 [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Demonstration of how to use diagonal cutters to make a loop
  • How to make a loop #2 [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Demonstration of how to use wire strippers to make a loop
  • How to attach the loop to a screw terminal [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Demonstration of how to properly attach the loop to a screw terminal
• Electrical Wiring Rubric 1 - Assessment

  Give each student a copy of the Rubric (below) prior to giving directions for the assessment assignment. The student demonstration is outlined below.

  • Electrical Wiring Rubric 1 [ Download ]