Magnets & Electricity
Investigation 1: The Force
Part 1
Investigating Magnets and Materials
Students find that objects that contain iron stick to permanent magnets; other objects do not. They discover that two magnets will either attract or repel one another, depending on their orientation.
3. Lesson set up and Management
1.1.1 Use properties to sort natural and manufactured materials and objects, for example by size, weight, shape, color, texture and hardness.
1.3.1 Define forces in terms of strength and direction.
2.1.2 Plan and conduct simple investigations, using appropriate tools, measures and safety rules.
2.1.3 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
2.1.5 Record and report observations, explanations and conclusions using visual oral, written, and mathematical expression.
1. Magnets stick to iron and steel.
2. Magnets attract or repel one another.
3. The magnetic force causes magnetic interactions.
4. A force is a push or pull.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
1. Before handing out magnets it is best to inform your students about keeping magnets away from TV, VCR, computer, radio, CD's, telephones, and video tapes. Create bright, colorful warning signs that list items magnets should avoid. Post the warning signs in your classroom near the equipment.
2. Before handing out magnets, spend a moment discussing their proper handling. (This information can be found under Equipment Tip on Page 11 and Page 15.) These magnets are ceramic and can break. If dropped, they will lose their magnetic strength. Discuss consequences if magnets get lost.
3. Tell students that when you call for listening time, they need to place magnets under their desks.
4. Make Student Sheet No. 3 a transparency and let the students create their own charts in their notebooks. It is also helpful to write the list of objects below the chart on the overhead. This way the kids know exactly what they are testing, which items should go back into the bag, and how to spell the words correctly.
5. This is a lesson where you could combine Part 2 of Investigation 1 with Part 1 and save time. If you are going to combine Part 2 then you need the No. 4 Student Sheet as a transparency.
6. Before having students place items back into the Test-objects bag, call out each item and have students place the items in as you say them. This should take care of finding items later in desks or on the floor. You don't need copies for each student of No. 2 Teacher Sheet.
7. To collect the magnets, have students place their magnet on their palms and hold them above their heads. Go around and use another magnet to "pick up" their magnets off their hands. Students will feel the force as the magnets attempt to attract.
8. To save copies and encourage writing, go through the investigations and decide which papers should be in a student reproduced packet and which ones could be made into one transparency for the students to journal on their own in their science notebooks. You would place the transparencies up for them to see what the questions are or the drawings needed and then let the students create their own.
Students explore each object to test if they will stick to a magnet. |
 Have students make two lists in their science journals: One column of items that stick and one of items that don't. |
 Having fun learning about attract and repel! |
Student Management:
1. Keep all materials at the station at which they are working. Don't let them carry the materials around. Let the students wander and explore.
2. Keep an eye on the child who may want to test items near the caution signs.
3. Keep Moving! If you are constantly moving, it will keep everyone on task.
4. Tell students the magnets are ceramic and can break easily if dropped on a hard surface.
1. You can lengthen or shorten the time on any lesson.
2. Use Pages 2 & 3 to help guide further inquiry at the end of every part.
3. To save copies and encourage writing, go through the investigations and decide which papers should be in a student reproduced packet and which ones could be made into one overhead for the students to journal on their own in their science journal notebooks. You would place the overhead up for them to see what the questions are or the drawings needed, and then let the students create their own.
4. Give students time to discuss their observations with each other.
5. Give journal reflection time.
6. Keep word banks and content inquiry charts up so students can see and have more time to copy later, if needed. It's nice if you can keep them up all the time and just add to them as you go.
Writing Support:
1. Reflection notebooking on the day's lesson.
2. Start and finish each lesson with a KWLQ chart. ("What do I know?", "What do I want to know?", "What have I learned?" and "Are there any more questions to investigate?")
3. Write a journal entry about being a magnet and getting stuck to an item of your choice for one day. Be sure to describe what you did, how you felt and if you would rather be somewhere else.
4. Have students write all word banks and inquiries in their notebooks.
Reading Support:
1. Read FOSS Science Story "Magnus Gets Stuck" either as a read aloud or for partner reading.
2. Have your librarian compile a list of books available to students for check out that pertain to this unit.
3. Check the Resource section of the teacher's guide for more reading suggestions or the literature link on this site.