Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Help - light demonstration wiring

For a demonstration i need to rig up a ceiling light fixture with a regular incandescent bulb (60 watts or so), a single light switch to control it, and a way to plug the setup directly into a wall outlet (120 volt). How do I wire this? The switch I am planning on using has 3 terminals, and the light fixture I am planning to use has three wires coming off it (white, black, and bare copper). Also I'm a little lost as to whether I can just take my power and ground wires and just plug them into a wall socket - do ceiling light fixtures work on AC?

Any help is appreciated, and the sooner the better since I have a deadline to meet!

Thanks,
Chad

Forget your deadline. You lack the basic understanding of electricity to do this project safely.

Buy and read at least the book wiring simplified, to gain a basic understanding of electricity and how electrical devices work. This should give you enough information to design something. We can (and will) then help you sort out the pieces.

Okay, this is for a temporary demonstration only. It won't really meet the code for building wiring.

First, read a book on home wiring so that you'll know good workmanship (making good connections, the proper way to strip wire and cable, the proper way to apply a wire nut, the proper way to staple cable, etc. etc. etc).

Buy a heavy-duty 12-volt grounded appliance cord with a plug already attached, and color-coded wires inside (one hot, one neutral, and one ground). The wires must be identifiable or else your installation will not be safe. Also buy a short length of 12/2 NM-B cable, two electical junction boxes, a switch cover plate, some cable staples, a simple switch, some wire nuts, and some 3/4" plywood to mount it all to.

The 12/2 should be long enough to connect the two boxes, plus about two feet more. Strip the sheathing for about 9 inches off each end of the cable, and strip about a half-inch off each of the internal wires. When you run this cable into the two boxes, run it far enough in to have about 1/4" of sheathing inside the box.

Mount the two boxes securely to the plywood. One will be for the switch and one for the light. Run the appliance cord and the 12/2 into the switch box. Make sure you correctly identify which wire in the appliance cord is the "hot" wire. Connect the black (hot) wires from the cord and cable to the two brass screws on the switch. Use a wire nut to connect the grounding wires in the cable and cord to a short segment of grounding wire, which you will then connect to the green screw on the switch. Connet the neutral (white) wires from the cord and cable to each other with a wire nut. Carefully pack everything back into the box without letting the grounding wires touch either screw on the switch. Screw the switch to the box, and put a cover plate on.

Run the other end of the 12/2 into the other box. Connect the wires to the lighting fixture by matching color. Mount the fixture to the box.

Staple the cables and cords to the plywood just outside each box. Make a snug attachment, but not enough to pinch the cable/cord.

The first time you try it, plug it into a bathroom receptacle so that you'll have GFCI protection.

Take this apart as soon as you conduct your demonstration.