You already know that devices take inputs, do something, and give outputs. Today we look inside one safe, simple system. What parts do you think are hiding inside a torch, and what job does each one do?
Every part inside the torch has a job. We call each part a component: a part that does one clear job.
You already know systems take an input, run a process, and give an output. In a moment you will look inside and decide which part starts things, which parts do the middle work, and which part gives the light. Ready to find out?
Be detectives: which hidden part is doing which job? In your group, examine one safe system where you can see inside: an adult-prepared opened torch, or the picture of a torch's insides above if your group has no torch. Look slowly, because the parts are small, and find the main components; then lay each component card beside the part it names, skipping a card if your torch design is different. As you match them, talk about the job each part seems to do. Do not force anything open that an adult has not approved.
Look again, more slowly, at the opened torch, or the picture of its insides. Can you find the moment the path is broken or complete? Trace a path with your finger: from the switch, to the power, along the contacts, to the light. Tell your group one sentence: which parts touch or join, and what would happen if one part was missing.
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