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Fabrication of a physical circuitry activity booklet for English instruction
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1 Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado,
United States of America
2 ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado,
United States of America
Received: 19 December 2025 | Revised: 23 February 2026 | Accepted: 24 February 2026 | Published online: 31 March 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract
This case study examines an approach to designing and fabricating a technology-based medium for use in a non-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject. The booklet, titled Rock, Paper, Physics!, was used as a medium for instruction on simile, metaphor, and personification to an 11th-grade honors English class by deploying and manipulating visible circuitry and hot-swappable circuit elements. We explored multiple fabrication approaches, including conductive two-dimensional printer ink, three-dimensional-printed materials, inlaid wires with matching cut-out troughs, and more, before settling on magnets and copper tape for reliability and ease of assembly. We report on the collaborative, iterative process that informed the final booklet design, the partnered English teacher’s perspectives on ease of use, and the potential of this approach to impact students’ attitudes about STEM subjects in a non-STEM course.
Keywords
Fabrication
Circuits
STEAM
STEM
English
Physics
Physics education research
Integrative STEM
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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