A simple way of testing materials to see if they are conductors or insulators is to make up the following circuit:

Before the lesson, gather together a number of different types of materials which the children will be able to test. Also, make sure that the bulb and batteries work!

During the lesson, the children can place each material in the space marked by the red cross (connecting it to the circuit with the crocodile clips). If the material is a conductor, the bulb will light. If the bulb doesn't light, the material is an insulator.

When they have tested a number of materials, they can look at their results and see if there are any patterns.