Saksharta Foundation

Saksharta

STEMpathy had the amazing opportunity to run an electricity workshop at the Saksharta Foundation in India, where students explored the basics of circuits and electrical energy—with a twist! Using apples, copper, zinc, and wires, they discovered how fruit can generate electricity and power small devices.

What did we do?

We began by introducing students to the fundamentals of electricity—covering circuits, conductors, insulators, and how electric current flows. Then came the fun part: building their own fruit batteries using apples, copper wires, and zinc nails.

Students connected the materials and watched as their apple-powered circuits generated enough electricity to light up small LEDs. The hands-on nature of the activity helped reinforce key concepts and showed how even everyday objects can demonstrate scientific principles.

Impacts

This workshop made the abstract idea of electricity more concrete and engaging. Here’s what students took away:

  1. Tangible Learning: Instead of just hearing about electricity, students saw it in action—powered by something as simple as an apple.

  2. Understanding Circuits: They learned how electrical energy flows through a circuit and how different materials affect conductivity.

  3. Creative Exploration: Students experimented with different fruit types and wiring setups to see what worked best.

  4. Resourceful Science: The workshop showed that you don’t need fancy equipment to explore science—just curiosity and creativity.

  5. Problem-Solving and Discovery: As they troubleshooted non-working circuits and tweaked connections, students developed critical thinking and resilience.

  6. Excitement for STEM: The surprise and joy of lighting up a bulb with fruit sparked genuine excitement and interest in science.

Summary

  • Taught basic electricity concepts using apples, copper, and zinc
  • Built fruit-powered circuits to light LEDs
  • Reinforced circuit-building, conductivity, and energy flow
  • Encouraged hands-on exploration and STEM curiosity

The Saksharta Foundation students impressed us with their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. This workshop was a great reminder that science is everywhere—and that learning can be both simple and powerful.