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I enjoy the way Joyce introduces her topic and leads her students toward understanding. The way she asks leading questions and rephrases student's questions allows her to faciliate their learning.  I thought the lesson allowed students to experiment with circuits and allow them time for trial and error.  I would adapt this lesson by adding an assessment component.

After working on circuits, I would assess my students on their knowledge by:

Materials:

Dominoes, light bulbs, batteries, wire, bulb holder

Misc. items- These items can be used to change the direction on the current

large flat areas for models to be built

energy ball

www.stevespanglerscience.com to purchase energy ball

Introduction:

I would give the students an energy ball to explore. The students will eventually, make the ball light up and start to create a sound.  When this happens, students will be asked how this is occuring.  Allow students to share ideas.  Discuss

Group Activity: The students  stand in a circle holding hands. One student in the circle puts a finger on one side on the energy ball and another student does the same thing on the other side of the ball. (Just make sure the two students on either side of the energy ball are not touching each other.) Discuss that this is a closed circuit. The Energy Ball will light up and make an erie sound. Then have two students in another part of the circle stop holding hands. The Energy Ball will not light up or make an erie sound. This is an open circuit.
Extention: How many people would it take before the circuit was too big to light the ball?

Reminder: Use paper cut out of light bulbs and batteries. Use string for the wire.

Extention:  I would assess the lesson on circuits by allowing the students to use dominoes to create a model that would demonstrate open and closed circuits.  This would allow the students to be creative and would show the depth of their knowledge depending on how intricate they made their model.  Students could demonstrate the different ways that currents travel by having one domino hit several others and change the direction of the electricitiy. It can also be used to demonstrate parallel circuits, by removing some domoninoes and showing how it still completes the circuit.

Reminder: Carolina Science sells light bulbs where you can see through it. This will help demonstrate how the circuit completes.