Kids really are amazing when given the chance. I'm currently working with a group of middle school kids teaching them about electricity and electronics, with the goal of getting them all licensed as amateur radio operators. Yesterday, we tackled the concept of conductors and insulators. We made a simple continuity tester that lit an LED when a conductor, such as a screwdriver or paper clip, was placed across two terminals. When an insulator, such as a chunk of wood or piece of paper, was placed across the terminals, the light did not come on. One of the kids said, "How about if we get the wood wet?" So, off they ran to get a glass of water to soak the chunk of wood I had. When that failed to work, we got out the DMM and measured the resistance of the various conductors and insulators. They were able to see that the resistance of the various conductors was practically zero, while the resistance of the insulators was very, very high. We stuck the probes into the water and found the resistance to be somewhere in between. I applaud you, Martin, for taking the time to do this, and would encourage everyone out there to do something similar.

Martin, this is great, any time you can encourage kids to explore and gain understanding of the world around them is time and energy well spent. Consider encouraging participation in a local science fair. Our annual county fair has grown to over 600 4th-12th grader.