Essy
The Bird That Wouldn't Glow!
I was walking home yesterday when I noticed something really strange...
Lots of birds were sitting on power lines.
But none of them were getting electrocuted!
So I came back to the lab and built my own tiny power line to investigate.
I even made a little GlowBird to test it.
But now I'm even MORE confused...
The bird won't glow!
Can you help me solve the mystery?
Ages
7-12 yrs
Duration
min
30
Difficulty
Easy
Stage
Stage 2-3
Cite this resource
Created by Darin Carr (BSc, DipEd)
NESA Accredited Teacher · Chemistry & Physics Specialist · 30+ years in-class teaching
Resource Version: 1.0
First Published:
Last Updated:
15 July 2026
1 Aug 2026
MISSION VERIFIED
Classroom tested. Teacher designed. Safe at home.
Designed by Darin Carr (BScDip Ed)
Practising NESA accredited
Australian Science Teacher
★ 30+ years of classroom experience
MISSION PROGRESS
3
young scientists have completed this mission.
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Click to let us know you have completed this mission
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Before you investigate... watch the mystery
MISSION HOOK
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Mission Equipment
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
Conductive dough (see instructions)
4×AA battery pack (Amazon)
4 x LED (Amazon or Squishy Circuits)
Let’s Investigate
Follow the missions steps below to solve the mystery.
1
Meet the Mystery
Become a Power Line Detective!
Essy spotted birds sitting on power lines... but something seemed strange.
If electricity is flowing through the wires...
Why aren't the birds getting zapped?
Today you'll build your own tiny power line and investigate the mystery yourself.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
2
Make Your Power Lines
Roll two long pieces of conductive dough. (like snakes)
Place them side by side with a small gap between them. (not toughing)
Connect each dough wire to your battery pack.
Your power lines are ready!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
3
Meet Your GlowBird
Your bird has two legs, one long and one short.
Bend them carefully so the legs are in a V-shape.
The bird is ready to 'sit' on the wire.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
4
Investigation 1
Can One Wire Power a Bird?
TEST
Place both legs on the same wire.
Observe carefully.
Now place one leg on each wire.
Did anything change?
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
5
Investigation 2
How Many GlowBirds Can One Power Line Light?
INVESTIGATE
Add another GlowBird.
Then another.
Then another.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
6
Investigation 3
Thick Wire vs Thin Wire
CHANGE ONE THING
Build one thick power line.
Build one thin power line.
Place a bird on the wires when they are thin, then place them on the wires when they are thick.
Any differences?
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
7
Solve the Mystery
EXPLAIN
Use everything you've discovered.
Can you now explain why real birds can safely sit on power lines?
Write your own explanation before reading the science.
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
1
Meet the Mystery
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
1
Meet the Mystery
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
1
Big Title
Gather your materials and get
ready for an amazing mission!
PREDICT
OBSERVE
EVIDENCE
ASK
SAFETY
TIP
PREDICT
The Crazy Scientist LAB Learning System™
Every experiment follows The Crazy Scientist Lab Learning System™ — a simple way to help kids think like real scientists.
We
-
LINK to what they already know,
-
ACTIVATE curiosity through hands-on discovery
-
BUILD understanding that actually sticks.
Have you ever seen birds sitting on power lines?
Every day, birds perch on power lines all around us.
Electricity is flowing through those wires...
So why don't the birds get electrocuted?
Today you'll build your own miniature power lines and use a GlowBird to investigate the mystery just like a real scientist.
Time to investigate!
First, you'll discover what happens when your GlowBird sits on one wire.
Then you'll test what happens when it touches two wires.
Finally, you'll become an electrical engineer by changing just one variable:
Add more GlowBirds to the power line.
Build a thick wire and a thin wire.
Observe what changes.
Record your evidence.
Can you solve the mystery before reading the science?
What did you discover?
You discovered that electricity doesn't simply flow because something touches a wire.
It needs a complete path to move through.
Engineers use exactly the same ideas when designing:
✔ Power lines
✔ Homes
✔ Electric cars
✔ Computers
✔ Robots
Every electrical circuit begins with one important question...
"Can the electricity complete the journey?"
"Want the full teacher guide? The Crazy Scientist Lab includes classroom delivery tips, how to manage the WOW moment, differentiation for Stage 2 & 3, — ready to teach tomorrow."
Think Like a Scientist
Scientists don't just do ONE experiment; they change one part of the experiment (independent variable) and then see how it affects another part of the experiment
(dependent variable)
Change ONE variable and test again.
How does the number of GlowBirds on your power line affect how brightly they glow?
How does the thickness of your dough power line affect how brightly the GlowBird glows?
Dr Puddledrip’s Science Tip
Read the Science
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
Scientist's Challenge
Designed for HPGE, gifted learners and children who enjoy an extra challenge.
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
The Next Question...
You've solved today's mystery. Now discover where curiosity can take you next.
Teachers & Homeschoolers: Print-ready HD versions of this Science Behind It poster and companion G&T Challenge Card are available inside The Crazy Scientist LAB.
Vocabulary
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Keep Exploring This Mystery
One experiment leads to even more amazing discoveries inside the Learning Universe.
Curiosity Files
BIG Questions & Discovery
Illustrated Facts
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