NerdDNA • Science Lab

Can You Make the Light Shine?

An original, offline energy-systems investigation • Grade 6 science, accessible reading level

🎯 Our mission

Rescue workers need light after a storm. Build a system that can make a bulb shine. Make a prediction, test it, and explain what happened.

1 · CHOOSEPick where the energy starts.
2 · CONNECTMake a complete path.
3 · TESTCheck the bulb and record evidence.

🔧 Build your system

0 = not moving | 100 = very fast

Tip: Change ONE part each time. Then test again. Reset turns everything off and sets both power levels to zero.

💡 See the system

Turning hand
⚙️
Generator
💡
Light bulb
Light brightness (model scale)0 / 100
Ready to test.
Choose your parts. Then press TEST MY SYSTEM.

Simplified model: the hand crank turns a generator that converts motion into electrical energy. The battery provides stored chemical energy. The wires and switch complete the circuit. Real systems also lose some energy as heat.

🧪 Try these three tests

Challenge 1Hand crank + wires connected + switch ON. Turn the crank. Can you light the bulb?
Challenge 2Keep turning. Open the switch. What happens?
Challenge 3Close the switch. Turn the crank slowly, then quickly. What changes?

📝 Record your evidence

1. What did you change?

2. What happened to the light?

3. Explain: How did the parts work together?

You can also draw your answer or tell your teacher/partner. Every scientist needs evidence!

Save as PDF: click Print / Save as PDF, then choose “Save as PDF” in the browser print window. If your WordPress page blocks printing, download the HTML backup, open it in Chrome, and print from there.

🗣️ Turn & Talk

Did the generator CREATE energy, or CHANGE energy from one form into another?

Sentence frame: “I think the generator ______ energy because ______.”

Teacher: show the science explanation

Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy; they do not create energy. A broken circuit stops current, even while the crank turns. A brighter bulb in this simplified model indicates more electrical power supplied by faster cranking.

Independent instructional activity created for NerdDNA. Not affiliated with Amplify and not a copy of the Amplify simulation. It runs locally without internet, accounts, or student data collection. Student writing stays in this browser page and is not transmitted.