Magnetism and Electricity Main Menu

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Contents

• Introduction
• Kit Topics
• Objectives
• Themes and Concepts
• District Standards
• Assessment

Introduction

The Magnetism and Electricity unit is a Full Option Science System (FOSS) kit created by the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley. It is published by Delta.

The Magnetism and Electricity module consists of four sequential activities, each designed to introduce or reinforce powerful and useful concepts that will be a central part of life in the 21^st century.

Kit Topics

Activity 1: The Force

Part 1: Permanent Magnets

Part 2: Breaking the Force

Activity 2: Making Connections

Activity 3: Current Attractions

Activity 4: Click It

Part 1: Build the Telegraph

Part 2: Long-Distance Telegraph

Objectives

Students are expected to:

• observe the interaction of permanent magnets with a variety of common materials.
• discover that magnets display forces of attractions and repulsion.
• measure the change in force between two magnets as the distance between them changes.
• understand and construct open, closed, parallel, and series circuits.
• identify a number of materials that are conductors and insulators.
• learn how to make an electromagnet.
• experience the relationship between the number of turns of wire around and electromagnet core and the strength of the magnetism.
• use their knowledge of electromagnets to make a telegraph.
• acquire the vocabulary associated with magnetism and electricity.
• exercise language, math, and social studies skills in the context of magnetism and electricity investigations
• develop and refine the manipulative skills required for making investigations in magnetism and electricity.
• gain experiences that contribute to their understanding of several pervasive themes that point out connections among scientific ideas and processes: Patterns, Structures, Interaction, and Change.

Themes and Concepts

Activity 1: The Force

Themes:

• Pattern
• Interaction
• Change
• System

Concepts:

• Magnets stick to metal objects made of iron and iron alloys such a steel.
• Magnets display forces of attraction and repulsion.

Activity 2: Making Connections

Themes:

• Interaction
• System

Concepts:

• Electricity can be controlled to travel along a pathway.
• A switch is a device used to open and close circuits.
• An open circuit is an incomplete electrical pathway.
• Materials that allow electricity to flow are conductors; those that do not are insulators.

Activity 3: Current Attractions

Themes:

• Pattern
• Interaction
• Change
• System

Concepts:

• A core of iron or steel becomes an electromagnet when electricity flows through a coil of wire surrounding it.
• The greater the number of coils, the greater the strength of the electromagnet.

Activity 4: Click It

Themes:

• Pattern
• Interaction
• System

Concepts:

• An electromagnet placed in a complete circuit can be used to send and receive messages.
• A switch can serve as a key in a telegraph system.

District Standards

The Magnetism and Electricity kit meets the following State/District Standards:

Standard 1: Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations. (1.a, 1.b, 1.c, 1.d)

Standard 2: Physical Science: Students know and understand common properties, forms, and changes in matter and energy. (2.2.a, 2.2.b, 2.2.c, 2.3.a, 2.3.b, 2.3.c)

Standard 5: Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology, and human activity and how they can affect the world. (5.b & 5.c)

Standard 6: Students understand that science involves a particular way of knowing and understand common connections among scientific disciplines. (6.a, 6.b, 6.c, 6.d, 6.e)

Assessment

There are three different types of assessments in the Magnetism and Electricity kit. These assessments include: Hands-on, Pictorial, and Reflective Questions. There are Teacher's Charts for each of these assessments. These charts allow teachers to determine if students mastered the concepts that were being tested. The assessments and charts are located in the assessment section of the teacher's guide.

This web page is maintained by Joan E. Grant.