Magnetic Madness

 Intended Audience: k-2 ^nd grade

Estimated lesson time: 50 minutes

Developer: Gobbs-Hill

Main Idea: Children will learn to distinguish of materials that are magnetic and not.

Standards:

Common Core Language Arts

(SL) Speaking and Listening- Comprehension and collaberation   

SL.(k-2).2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

SL.(K-2).3 Ask and answer questions in order to clarify comprehsion on a topic.

(L) Language- Vocabulary acquisition and use

 L.(k-2).4 determain the use of unknow word or phrase

L(K-2).6 aquire and use accurately grade appropriate general academic and domain specific words and phrases.

Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Nevada State Standards forScience

N.2.A.1 Students know how to make observations and give descriptions using words, numbers, and drawings. E/S

N.2.A.2 Students know tools can be used safely to gather data and extend the senses. I/L

N.2.A.3 Students know observable patterns can be used to predict future events or sort items. E/S

P.B.2.3 Students know magnets can be used to make some things move without being touched. E/S

 Objectives:

Sort materials into categories by their physical properties: metallic vs. non metallic

Identify that magnets can cause an item to move without touching it

Differentiate between magnets attracting vs. repelling

Predict if an item will be attracted to a magnet after exposure to repeating patterns

Key Vocabulary: Observation, Magnet, Magnetic field, tools

Materials:

 Safety notes/procedures:

Make sure to explain to both teachers, parents and students magnets can be powerful tools which can affect and sometimes destroy electronics

They will want to keep cell phones and other electronic devices away from the exploration stations

Advanced Preparation:

1.Make sure the stations are set up in advance.

2.Place station numbers and arrows with stations (numbers do not need to match the number on the bucket but should go in order to help kids and adults know which direction to move in).

Procedure

a.Engagement (5-10 min):

Place a set of magnets on either side of a non-transparent container without a lid. Move the magnets around without the students seeing by moving the magnet on the inside of the container and the outside one is moved along with it, ask students if they know what is happening. If they don’t know either –

1.Write questions on the board, but don’t answer these questions; come back to them at the end of the exploration and see if students can hypothesize an explanation for what they see.

2. Or, ask them to think about what they saw and tell them that we will come back to this question after have had a chance to explore the stations today.

b.  Exploration (30 min):

Divide students into small groups with one or two chaperones in each group; these groups will be rotating through a series of exploration stations. At each station have students perform an action, make observations. Pass out trays and briefly explain each station and how students will rotate through stations.

Station 1:

Have students examine how magnets can attract or repel each other using ceramic ring magnets and dowels attached to wooden block bases. Have student first attach the magnets off of the dowel. Then have them place the opposite sides so they can see magnets repelling. Is there a pattern of magnets that can repel the farthest distance? Why or why not? Does color affect how much the magnet repels?  Can all of the magnets float?  Why or why not?  Can you show me?

 Station 2:

Have a see through box with iron or steel filings loose in it.  Have student compare the patterns each type of magnet (ball, ring, bar, and u-shaped) makes in the box when they are brought close to the filings. Ask them where there are more filings?  Less? Why is this happening?  Have students draw the pattern they see.  Ask the students which magnet is stronger?  How do you know?  What similarities do you see between the material in the box and rocks on the tray?  What color is the material in this box?  What color is the rock that the magnets sticks to?  What color is the sand where the materials are buried?  Which one does the magnet stick to?  Why?

Station 3:

Have students explore the room using their magnetic wand for magnetic items.  Ask the students what pattern then notice?  Have students classify some of the physical properties of the materials magnets stick to such as texture, color, shininess.  Have them do the same for the materials magnets do not stick to. What types of materials are attracted to the magnets?What types of materials aren’t.? Are there any types that are in between?  If so, what?  Have the students divide the materials into 2 groups: those that are attracted to the magnets and those that aren’t.

Station 4:

Have student examine how magnets will or will not be attracted to certain minerals and rock types. Have students try to hang the magnet on pieces of minerals like gypsum, quartz, iron, copper, and rocks like granite, hematite, magnetite, and sandstone.   Lodstones work excellent for this--if your mineral types are less magnetic tie an neodymium magnet to a string and hold the string above the rock or mineral.  What types of minerals are the magnets attracted to?  What colors minerals are they attracted to? Ask students why they think they are attracted to one type vs. the other.

Station 5:

Have students examine how a compass is affected by the presence of a magnet.  Using the clear box with iron filings, place the bar magnetic behind the box and see if student can notice a pattern as they move the compass along the magnetic field.

Station 6:

Liquid Magnetic Field Line – Have students Have student explore and compare the patterns each type of magnet (ball, ring, bar, and u-shaped) makes in the box with liquid containing iron filings when they are brought close to the filings. Ask them where there are more filings?  Less?  Why is this happening?  Have students draw the pattern they see.

Station 7:

Have students locate buried magnets or metallic items in a tub of sand.  What items were easiest for find?  What color is this sand?  How is this sand similar to the other rocks at the mineral section.  Have students make 2 piles those that stick to magnets and those that do not.  What words would you use to describe these items to a person who could not see them?Which items were more difficult to pick up with the magnet?  Why?  Why does the magnet stick to some of the buried items, but not the sand? Have the students hide the items for the next group.  Do they know of any inventions that work this way--metal detector, etc.

Station 8:

Students explore lose iron filings and iron filings in a large box with different magnets. Have student compare the patterns each type of magnet (ball, ring, bar, and u-shaped) makes in the box when they are brought close to the filings. Ask them where there are more filings?  Less?  Why is this happening?

 c.  Resolution  (5-10 min):

Have students make a line down the programming space, hallway or other space as available.  Explain you are going to show pictures they will have to make a prediction about whether it will be attracted to a magnet or not based on their observations.  If they think it will be attracted to the magnet have them move to one side of the room.  If theythink it will not be attracted to the magnet have them move to the other side of the room.

Probing Questions and Scientific explanation:

What do you observe?  

What did they learn?  

What materials were the magnets attracted to?

What patterns were formed when the magnet was put behind the box with the iron filings?

What happens with the magnets on the dowel?

 Why is this?

What pattern did they notice with the compasses?

What types of rocks were the magnets attracted to?

 What color are many of the items that are attracted to magnets?

  Why is this?

Background info for teachers

Magnets have poles or end where the force is the strongest.This is why you were able to locate the buried items.  This is also why the magnets repel each other on the dowels.  Items that usually have metal such as iron are attracted to magnets.

Adaptations

ELL/ESL: 8.4

Follows simple directions to complete a task in English.  Use Total Physical Response  (TPR)* to demonstrate requests and teach skills in English

Special Education:

Have students orally give their observations or have them write descriptive words instead of sentences.  Ask a student a question to answer in front of the group during the station rotation and tell them you are going to have them respond out loud.  This gives them a heads up; you can also ask if they feel comfortable with sharing their answers.

 Gifted and Talented:

At the station ask student how we use magnets.  What tools can they list that use magnets?  What materials are these tools made of?  Do they see any connection between the tools and minerals/rocks they know attract magnets?  Give students a copy of the periodic table and have them look up picture of different elements.  What words would they use to describe these elements.  What connections can you make between the way an element looks and it's magnetic behavior?

References: