Course Content

This course was taken with Nichole Atencio.  I have never seen a teacher so passionate about science.  Nichole opened my eyes to how wonderful and fun science can be.  I went into this class very close minded and now I know that there are endless possibilities to making science fun.  We always did some kind of experiment in her class.  She would let us experiment first and then she would explain what we were going to do.  Nichole taught us about the five E's - Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.  We worked with learning centers which I wasn't very confident about at first.  However, now I have a better idea about them.  Nichole also showed us how to use the Standards and Benchmarks for our lessons.

Practicum

We did five different observations during the course of the semester.  We had to observe at least one high school, one middle school, and one elementary.  The last two observations could be the grade level of our choice.  I observed at Farmington High School, Hermosa, and Northeast.  It was interesting to see the different level of science being taught. 

Sample Piece of Work

Science Content Standards, Benchmarks, and Performance Standards:

Standard I (Physical Science): Understand the structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the interactions between matter and energy.

K-4 Benchmark III: Identify forces and describe the motion of objects.

2^nd grade: Observe that electrically charged materials and magnets attract and repel each other, and observe their effects on other kinds of materials.

3^rd grade: Describe how magnets have poles (N and S) and that like poles repel each other while unlike poles attract.

Day 1:

Objective: The students will use this lesson to learn what magnets attract and why?

Materials:

- 12 magnet wands (enough for half the children)

- 12 nose man magnets (enough for the other half of the children)

- 1 container of iron filings

- 6 pencil boxes (or other small boxes)

- worksheet for charting what the magnets stick to and don’t

- other misc. magnets

- other items that magnets won’t attract to (coins, and other metals that don’t attract to magnets)

- Separate children into groups of two.

- In each group, supply one magnet wand, one nose man magnet and one worksheet.

- Ask the children it they know what those objects are, but do not confirm or deny anyone’s answer. If a child says a magnet, then ask what magnets do. Ask the child what they can do with these tools, if they are magnets, to prove that they are magnets.

- Ask the children to take the tools that were just provided to them and to walk around the room and see if they will stick to anything in the room. Have them either write or draw a picture in the chart of every object they try (up to ten, then they may get another worksheet). The worksheet also asks what that object was make of, and if it stuck or not to the magnet.

- Let the children know NOT to try this on the computer.

- Allow for 10-15 minutes of exploration.

- Gather for whole group discussion.

- Ask if they know what these tools are.

- Do we know anything about magnets (assuming someone says magnets to previous question)?

- Ask the children to share some of their results with the class.

- Once everyone has had a turn sharing, ask about the third column in their charts (it asks to tell what the object is made of: metal, wood, cement, etc.).

- Continue talking about what magnets stick to. If the children have differing results, then do more experiments. For example, have the children use their magnets to retest the object in question.

- Once the children understand that magnets stick to some kinds of metals, ask why some kind of metal attract to magnets and not others.

- Students will be assessed by doing a K-W-L chart as a class. Students will write in a journal about what they have learned about magnets. This will also show through the worksheet they filled out.

- Students will go home and check for magnets in their home.

- Tell where you have magnets. What do they stick to?

- The K-W-L chart integrates with language arts.

- The journal integrates with writing.

Objective: Continuing more exploration of magnets. The students will learn that magnets only attract certain items, and that not all metals are attracted to magnets. They will also learn to predict and test their predictions while working in groups to determine what a magnet will attract.

Materials: magnets, glass jar, wood, paper, pencil, paper clips, nails, spoon, keys, comb, marbles, building blocks, aluminum foil, cork, cardboard, coins, plastic bag, tissue, balloon, buttons, ruler, scissors, washers, bolts, filing cabinet, table legs, book cart, chalk board

- Items to be tested are separated into four groups - each with an assortment of items that are/are not attracted, placed in bags, and bags are placed roughly in the four corners of the classroom (allows enough space for groups to work).

Procedure: (Show the magnet) Does anyone know what this is? (Students answer magnet)

(placing magnet on the board) Does anyone know what it does? (It "sticks" attracts things)

(show metal bolt) I have a bolt here. Do you think the magnet will attract it?

(Select a student for the answer, lay bolt down on student’s desk, give them the magnet) Ok, test your prediction. Just like (student’s name) you are going to tell me what a magnet can and cannot attract.

- Divide class into 4 groups (should be about 5 per group)

- Assign roles (leader, sorter, writer [predictions], writer [tested items], tester

- Each group will begin at a station (4 stations around the room). Each station has a bag of items and prediction sheet.

- Writers need a pencil and a book to write on.

- Testers get one magnet each.

At each station:

- leader empties bag

- sorter makes 2 piles - items that a magnet will attract and items that will not according to the group.

- prediction writer marks group selections on station worksheet

- tester(s) test group predictions on items with magnet.

- testing writer marks each item as attract or does not attract on sheet.

- leader makes sure everyone is on task and helps where needed in the group.

Groups repeat process until all four stations have been visited.

After groups have been to all 4 stations, students return to their seats.

- Students continue to add to the K-W-L chart. Students continue to write in their journals about what they learned today.

Day 3: Use this day to research a little more about magnets and who discovered them. Research a man named William Gilbert. He was the first to talk about magnets and poles. This would integrate with History, computers, and reading (sources). Also, students will find other ways to relate magnets to the real world. This will be due at the end of the unit.

Day 4: Assign half the class to continue to do research while the other half of the class will do an activity. Switch the groups halfway through the class so that everyone gets a chance to do the activity and research.

Activity: Sorting with magnets

- some string

- a strong magnet

- some clean, empty soup and pop cans

- Tie a piece of string as long as your leg to the magnet.

- Stand the cans in a line on the floor.

- Hold the string in your hand, and slowly move the magnet over the line of cans. What happens? Which cans are attracted to the magnet, and which ones are not?

- Wrap up by having a short discussion about this activity.

Day 5:

Objective: Students will see that a magnetically-attracted item can be made into a magnet. Students will also see that the homemade magnet can be weakened.

- magnets and scissors (one for each pair of students)

- paper clips

- pencil and paper

- Pair students up.

- Ask the class how you can pick up a paper clip with a pair of scissors without putting the points through the loop or opening the scissors.

- Call up one student from each pair to get some paper clips and a pair of scissors.

- Pairs attempt mentioned task.

Does anyone know how you could make this easier? How about with a magnet? The magnet has to be away from the paper clip. (Give each pair a magnet.)

After attempting the task, students place the magnet under the desk (keeping their hands off). Ask what attracts the metal in the scissors to the magnet. Explain you can make a magnet out of the scissors.

Explain instructions completely before letting students attempt it.

- Rub magnet over scissors 10-12 times in one direction, lifting after each time. Explain process as you (teacher) are doing it, when pick up a paper clip with the new magnet. Ask if students think that rubbing the magnet more times over the scissors will make the new magnet stronger.

- Have students find out by making their own magnet.

- Explain process.

- Pass paper - 1 sheet for each pair and several paper clips (groups have 1 tester, 1 writer).

- Tester rubs scissors several times in the proper manner, then tests how many paper clips it picks up. Writer records number of trial, number of times scissors are rubbed, and number of paper clips picked up.

Groups do at least 5 trials

After trial, discuss lesson as a class (all items stay on desk).

Questions to consider - Could you pick up paper clips more easily? Could you pick up more paper clips if you took the magnet over the scissors more times?

Do you know how you could demagnetize the scissors?

- Lightly slap scissors in palm.

- It won’t completely get rid of the attraction, but it will make it weaker.

Repeat trial process with demagnetizing

- Label paper: number of trial, number of scissor slaps, number of paper clips

- Do 5 more trials.

To wrap up this lesson have the students answer the following questions:

- Why do you think this weakens the magnet?

- What happened when the magnet was taken over the scissors (and when you slapped it in your palm)?

- What was the difference when you took the magnet over the scissors more times (and when you slapped the scissors more times)?

Also have students reflect in their journals about this lesson.

Students will be assessed by the discoveries they made about magnetizing and demagnetizing. Students could also be assessed on their participation.

- Rub the magnet across a paper clip several times in the same direction. What happens?

- Try magnetizing other metal objects. Are these permanent or temporary magnets?

Objective: Students will discover like poles of a magnet repel each other while opposite poles attract. The repelling force is stronger than the force of gravity for the ring magnets.

- ring magnets (2 or more per student)

- pencils or dowel rods (1 per student)

- optional clay (enough to keep each pencil upright)

- floating magnets worksheet (or some other sheet upon which students can draw how the magnets stick together on a pencil, how they float, and what it looks like when the pencil is filled with magnets) (one per student).

- Divide students into groups of 2 or 3 so they can combine their magnets for greater exploration.

- Ask the question: "What would happen if you put two ring magnets on an upright pencil?

- Have students make predictions on what will happen and discuss them.

- Now provide time for the students to try different ways of stacking two magnets on each pencil. Have students return to their predictions to find out how close they were. This is also a good time to have students fill out their activity sheets describing what happened.

- Allow students to use all their magnets to fill up their pencils with floating magnets and record what they see.

- Let them continue exploring by arranging different numbers of magnets in various ways on their pencils.

- The following questions could be used for extending students’ thinking during or after the activity:

–Why is this student’s magnet floating and these others are not?

–What happens if you put your fingers between the floating magnets?

–Why does the magnet float when it is on one side, but not when it is on the other?

–Where are the positive and negative poles on the ring magnets?

–Does the pencil have anything to do with the magnets floating?

–Why doesn’t gravity hold the magnets down?

–What happens to the spaces between the magnets as you add more magnets?

Assessment/Evaluation: Student can be assessed by the worksheet they used during this activity along with answering the questions. They again could be assessed on their participation.

- Use a long dowel rod to float all available magnets from the class and observe what happens.

- Do the same as the first extension activity, but measure the space between the magnets on top and the space between the magnets near the bottom. Observe the differences and discuss them.

- Ask students for ideas on how the floating magnets could be useful in society, industry, or technology.

- For an art activity, have students make puppets that will stand up on the top floating magnet. Also, these puppets could then be used for a puppet show.

Objective: The students will take knowledge from previous lessons of what magnets will attract and how to make a magnet and utilize that knowledge for this lesson. Magnetic attraction and direction are related. Students will discover this by making a simple compass.

- paper clips

- strong magnets

- tape

- pieces of cork tile

- deep plates, or shallow bowls

- water

- actual compass

- Divide the students into pairs.

- Each pair should have all the materials except for the actual compass (this is used to check students simple compass).

- Straighten out a paper clip.

- Stroke is about 50 times (always in the same direction) with one pole of a magnet.

- Tape the paper clip (now a magnet) to a piece of cork.

- Float the cork in a plate or bowl of water.

- Compare with the actual compass.

- Answer the following questions:

– Is your paper clip compass accurate?

–Do you know what a compass does?

–Do you know how it works?

–What do the terms N and S mean?

Assessment/Evaluation: Students may be assessed by their compass, whether it works or not and why. They can also be assessed by answering the preceding questions.

- Try using a needle or a nail for the compass pointer. Remember to magnetize them first.

- What happens if you put a stronger magnet next to the simple compass you just made. Where does the paperclip (or what ever needle your using) attract to? Is it still pointing north?

Objective: Students will put their magnets to the test - a strength test. Students will learn that magnets have different strengths.

Materials:

- 2 boxes of bolts (all the same size)

- 12 magnet wands

- 12 nose man magnets

- 12 doughnut shaped magnets

- 24 3/4" button magnets (12 of these will be dispersed evenly in the 12 pencil boxes listed below)

- 36 magnetic balls (24 of which will be dispersed evenly in the 12 pencil boxes listed below)

- 12 small boxes (pencil boxes) that contains the following:

- colored paperclips

- piece of black paper

- 1 index card with the words book and desk written on it

- 12" piece of string with markings made every inch with a black marker

- 1 3/4" button magnet

- some iron fillings

- Worksheets that chart different magnets and asks the question, "How many bolts were picked up?"

- 1 piece of large chart paper with 12 vertical lines covering the page, except for the bottom, which will read groups 1 - 12 (one group in each space). On the far left side there will be a picture of each of one of the magnets that they tested.

- Ask the children how strong magnets are? Do magnets have different strengths? If so, what makes one magnet stronger than another? Generate conversation.

- Break the class up into groups of 2.

- Supply each group with a handful of bolts, 1 magnet wand, 1 nose man magnet, 1 3/4" button magnet, 1 ball magnet and one worksheet.

- Ask the children to test the strength of the magnets by picking up as many bolts with on magnet and writing that number down. Then do the same for the other magnets.

- When they have finished, they may then come up and get the following: paperclips, piece of string (1 foot long with black marks every inch), 3/4" button magnet, and small amount of iron filling. There will also be a piece of paper, a card with the words desk and book on it.

- They will be asked to find other ways to test the strength of magnets. They may use what they already have at their desk along with the materials mentioned in the previous step to do so.

- Allow for at least 20 minutes exploration. More time may be given if the children are occupied and there is time to spare in the day.

- Everyone stops what they are doing, and puts the magnets where they cannot touch them.

- The teacher will hang up the large piece of chart paper that was prepared before the lesson started. Have each group come up and put their answers on the chart.

- The class will compare how their answers are similar and different and what may be some reasons for this happening.

- The teacher will then ask for volunteers to demonstrate how they measured the strength of their magnets. Discuss their technique with the class and ask others what they did.

- Discuss how there are many ways to do things, and sometimes we only learn by trying lots of different things.

Assessment/Evaluation: Students will be evaluated by their participation during this lesson.

Extension/Integration: This lesson would integrate well with math, and writing.

- Continue filling in the K-W-L chart. Are the questions being answered?

- Try connecting paperclips from a magnet to see how long of a chain you can make they measure it.

Day 9: On this day use this as a free exploration day. Allow the students to repeat any activities done in the previous days. Finish up the K-W-L chart as a class. Get any last minute work done on the research of magnets (this doesn’t need to be lengthy). When all that is done students may do another activity. Students will make a race track out of colored cardboard and race with magnet cars.

- 2 small ring or bar magnets, glue, 2 rulers or strips of wood, colored cardboard, pens, scissors, stick-on stars, and other shapes, paper clips, large sheet of stiff cardboard, 2 books.

- Glue a magnet to the end of each ruler. If you don’t have rulers for this purpose, use similar size strips of wood.

- Draw the shapes of racing cars on colored cardboard. You can make the wheels a different color and add stripes, too.

- Carefully cut out the car shapes with scissors. Decorate them with stick-on stars or other shapes to make your own racing teams.

- Glue a steel paper clip to the underside of each car. Let the glue dry thoroughly while you make the racing track from cardboard.

- Draw a circuit on the large sheet of cardboard to make the track. Put the whole track up on two books so it is raised all around the edges to let you get the ruler and magnet underneath. Place the racing cars on the start line. Slide your ruler underneath so the magnet faced upwards and attracts the paper clip on the base of your car. Move the ruler slowly so the magnet drags the paper clip and car along. Practice driving like this for a while. Overtaking other cars is tricky, since you have to maneuver your ruler past your opponent’s ruler. Good Luck!

Day 10: On this day the students will present their research paper to the class and share their journals. They will also go over the K-W-L chart for any last minute information. When that is completed those students who did not get to try the race track may do so.

The only connection to music I could come up with would be to choose an instrument and find out if there are magnets used in it. Or the students could make up a song about magnets.

For P.E. I could come up with any kind of magnet games that would boost the heart rate. I guess the students could use a magnet instead of a rock for hop scotch. I don’t know.

Before doing this unit the teacher could send out a parent letter describing what will be going on in the next two weeks. The teacher could invite the parents to join then in any of the activities. Or if any parent has any information on magnets they could come in and share with the class. 

Sources                                                         

AIMS Education Foundation. (1991). Mostly magnets. AIMS Education Foundation. Retrieved April 13, 2008, from http://www.lessonplanpage.com

Bailey, J. (2005). What does a magnet do? North Mankato: Smart Apple Media.

Retrieved April 13, 2008, from http://www.lessonplanspage.com

Challand, H. J. (1986). Experiments with magnets. Chicago: Childrens Press.

Murray, J. (2007). Magnets. Edina: ABDO Publishing Company.

Parker, S. (1998). Magnets. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Publishing.