Magnets

Using Scientific Knowledge

·        Students will predict which objects will be attracted to the magnets based on existing scientific experiences.

Constructing Scientific Knowledge

·        Students will explore or investigate the phenomenon of why only certain objects will stick to the magnets.

·        Students will connect previous ideas to new ideas based on this investigation with magnets.

     Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge

·        Students will compare old scientific knowledge of magnets with new findings.

·        Students will justify their predictions of which objects will stick to the magnets based on the evidence they find during this experiment.

Science Concepts and Conceptual Understanding

            The science concept that will be taught during this lesson will be the basic property of magnets, which is that they attract to iron objects. Students will be asked to group objects that they think will be attracted to the magnet and objects that will repel from the magnet in two separate piles. Students will also be taught that not all metal objects are attracted to magnets, such as aluminum and brass.

Potential Conceptions/Misconceptions

            Researchers asked students about magnets prior to a program on magnetism and students referred to magnets as ‘sticking’ to objects, such as pins or paper clips (Driver, p.127). After the program magnets were thought of as ‘picking up’ objects (Driver, p.127). Students also identified a generic group of materials affected by magnets, although they took this to be all metals, rather than certain metals (Driver, p.127).

            The lesson addresses these misconceptions because the students will have a variety of objects that will be attracted and not attracted to magnets. Through the testing of the objects, students will learn that the magnets ‘pick up’ the objects that are attracted to them. There will also be metal objects that are not attracted to the magnets so the students will see that not all metal objects are attracted to magnets, only objects made of iron and its alloys. 

Science Process and Inquiry Skills

Students will use the scientific process and inquiry skills of predicting, observing and drawing, communicating and discussing, using simple tools to perform the experiment, keep records of data, and classifying. Students will predict which objects will be attracted to the magnets and which objects will not, and classify those objects in a chart.  Then students will observe which objects attract to the magnets and which do not. Students will keep a journal of data by drawing pictures during the experiment to show their observations and also to keep track, in a chart form, of which objects were attracted and not attracted to the magnet. Students will communicate their results with the class after the experiment and make a class chart to record their data. They will simple tools, such as magnets and other objects to perform the experiment.

Science as Inquiry

·        Students will gain the abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.

Physical Science

·        Students will learn about the properties of magnets and other materials.

·        Students will learn about the position and motion of objects.

·        Student will learn about magnetism.

Materials

 Magnets (1 per group of 2 students)

Objects that are attracted to magnets

Objects that are not attracted to magnets

Pencil

Paper

Chart paper

Markers

*Students will work cooperatively in small groups of 2, sharing the magnet and the objects to be tested. Each student will have his or her own pencil and piece of paper to write on. They will be asked to use their Life Skills during the experiment.

Safety Precautions

 Inform the students not to put any of the objects in their mouths.

  Diversity Statement

 This lesson is adaptable for both genders, but visually and hearing impaired students will need some assistance.

Focus Phase

             The main question of the lesson is “Which objects will be attracted to the magnets and why?” Students will be asked questions such as “Do you have magnets at home?” “Where are they located?” and “What do you do with them?” to introduce them to the lesson.

 Exploration Phase

             During this phase I will ask the students the question “Which objects will be attracted to the magnets and why?” I will give each group of two objects that are attracted to the magnet and objects that are not attracted to the magnet. Each student will be asked to use his or her own pencil and be given a piece of paper. I will ask them to guess, or make a prediction, about which objects will be attracted to the magnet and which will not be attracted. I will model the way I want them to classify the objects on a chart, using the overhead projector. I will have one column that reads “Attracted” and one that reads “Not attracted”, and ask the students to draw the columns just like I did and then draw pictures of the objects that they think should go in those columns. This will be their first form of journal writing.

            Then I will distribute 1 magnet to each group and ask the students to test out their predictions. They will draw pictures of what they observe; which objects are attracted to the magnets and which are not, as their second form of journal writing. I will ask the students why they think specific objects are attracted to the magnets and what is different about those objects compared to the objects that do not attract to the magnets. Other questions such as what do the objects look like, do they feel different than the other objects, etc. I will assess their progress by looking at their predictions chart and then looking at their observations to see whether or not they are on the right track. Then, after the students have tested all their objects, I will ask the student to turn their paper over and make another chart with the same titles as the first chart and fill it in with the objects that were attracted to the magnets and the objects that were not attracted to the magnets.

 Concept Introduction Phase

             To organize and present student’s findings, we will make a class chart using a piece of chart paper. One column will read “Objects Attracted” and the other will read “Objects not Attracted.” I will ask each group to tell me one object that was either attracted or not attracted to the magnet then I will write that down in the appropriate column. After we have completed the chart, I will ask the students why they thought some objects were attracted to the magnet and some were not. Then I will ask them to look at the chart we made and find some similarities in the objects that were attracted to the magnets, and similarities in objects that were not attracted to the magnets. This will lead into the discussion that magnets only attract objects that are made out of iron. I will demonstrate that not all metal is attracted to magnets using an aluminum can. Then I will ask the students to pick out some metal objects that did not attract to the magnets and tell me why they did not attract as a form of assessment.

 Concept Application/ Assessment Phase

             I will present a new problem for the students to figure out with their partner. I will set up a problem and the students will need to talk about it with their partner and solve the problem. This problem also assesses and determines their learning as well. I will tell the students that they have a big pile of cans to take to the recycling center, but the recycling center only takes aluminum cans. Their task is to figure out a way to separate the aluminum cans from the other cans. Once they have thought about the problem, I will ask each group what they came up with. Depending on their answer, I will be able to understand whether or not they understood the lesson. I will accept answers relating to taking a magnet and running over all of the cans and the cans that are attracted to the magnet will be put in another pile and the cans that are not attracted to the magnet are aluminum, so they will go to the recycling center.

 Productive Questions

 “Do you have magnets at home?”

“Where are they located?”

“What do you use them for?”

“Which objects will be attracted to the magnets and why?”

“Why are specific objects attracted to the magnets?”

“What is different about those objects compared to the objects that do not attract to the magnets?”

“What do the objects look like that are attracted…not attracted?”

“Do the objects attracted feel different than the objects not attracted?”

References

 Driver, R., Squires, A., Rushworth, P., & Wood-Robinson, V. (2000). Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: Routledge.

 Foster & Heiting (1994). The science process skills: basic and complex. Science and Children.