Grade 9 series and parallel rules from PhET circuit readings pooled in Google Sheets.

Using PhET's Circuit Construction Kit: DC, each student builds three circuits to the same specification: two identical bulbs in series with one battery left at its default voltage, the same bulbs in parallel, and a mixed circuit with one bulb in series with two in parallel. They use the kit's ammeter and voltmeter to measure the current through and the potential difference across each bulb, and enter their readings in their own row of a shared Google Sheet. Because the simulator gives exact readings, every correctly built circuit should match, so the teacher highlights any row that differs and asks that student to check their wiring on screen. The class then uses the pooled table to state the rules: in series the current is the same everywhere and the potential difference is shared, and in parallel each branch has the same potential difference while the branch currents add up to the total.

Tools: PhET Simulations, Google Sheets Nine ideas for your own version in Generate