Magnet Learningcycle

7/23/2019 Magnet Learningcycle

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Magnets Learning CycleIn this introductory learning cycle, students will explore the interaction of magnets and materials, investigatethe uses of magnets in their everyday lives, and create an invention that utilizes a magnet.

Rationale:Children may be familiar with a variety of uses of magnets in their daily lives. However, their experienceswith magnets may do little to help them make sense of how magnets work. Understanding what magnetscan and cannot do can help children make use of magnets more effectively.

Because the behavior of magnets is explained on the atomic level, and cannot be directly observed bystudents, the teacher must carefully sequence learning activities to support students in making inferencesabout magnetic behavior. The Learning Cycle method utilizes students explorations with materials as thebasis for developing abstract concepts.

Teacher Background:The term magnetism actually comes from the region of Magnesia, a province of Greece where over 2000years ago loadstones were found to have the unusual property of attracting pieces of iron. Humans havetaken advantage of this property of materials to navigate the seas, take pictures of inside the human body,levitate trains above the track (maglev), and do more mundane things like keep purses closed or hangitems on a refrigerator door. Once thought to be magic, magnets have become of great importance toscience!

Magnets can both attract (pull) and repel* (push) other magnets, as well as attract other types of objects(While a common misconception is that magnets attract all metals, it is actually only those that contain iron,nickel, or cobalt in sufficient amounts that are attracted to a magnet). Note that a magnet does not attractwood is not the same as a magnet repels wood the magnet has no effect, or exerts no force on wood,therefore it is NOT repelling the wood!

Link to Standards:According to the NSES, From the earliest grades, students should experience science in a form thatengages them in active construction of ideas and explanations and enhances their opportunities to developthe abilities of doing science. (p121) The activities in this learning cycle correspond with:

Physical ScienceCONTENT STANDARD B:

As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of

Light, heat, electricity, and magnetismo Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of other materials.

Science and TechnologyCONTENT STANDARD E:

As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop

Abilities of technological designo Identify a simple problemo Propose a solutiono Implementing proposed solutions


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o Evaluate a product or designo

Communicate a problem, design, and solution

Materials ListFor each group:

Assorted magnets (horseshoe, cow, disk, bar, etc.) Assortment of objects (non-metallic, metallic, with iron and without)

Chart paper or white board & markers

Access to craft magnets and a variety of materials and/or access to technology for creatingadvertisements (e.g., desktop publishing, video, etc.)

Goals/objectives of the lesson:Students will develop the following knowledge and abilities related to processes, content, andunderstandings about science:

Science Processes/Skills:Students will

Science Content/Knowledge:Students will explain that:

The Nature of Science:Students will discuss...

Observethe interaction of

magnets and other objects.

Inferwhether objectscontain iron, nickel, orcobalt, based on theirinteractions.

Operationally defineattract, repel, andmagnet.

Identify a problemthatcould be solved with amagnet

Pose/design a solution to

the problem

Evaluatethe design of thesolution

Communicatetheproblem and solution to theaudience

Magnets can attract and

repel other magnets.

Magnets can attract objectsthat contain iron, nickel, orcobalt.

Magnets repel only othermagnets.

Magnets can attract orrepel at a distance.

Magnets can attract orrepel through othermaterials.

Scientific claims must be

testable and backed byevidence.

Scientific ideas are subjectto change in light of newevidence.

Science and technologyinfluence each other

Engage/Encountering the Idea: Begin by brainstorming, in small groups, items that use magnets or, to help build interest in the

lesson in advance, ask that students conduct a scavenger hunt to identify examples of magnetsthey encounter in their daily lives. Have students share their examples with the whole class, anddiscuss the way that magnets are used in the examples they give. A three-column chart can bemade in which you list the item, the way in which the magnet is being used, and how it solves aproblem.


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Tell students that they seem to know a lot about magnetic products already, and so you want to

know a bit more about what they think about how magnets work. Provide each student with a copyof the Agree/Disagree Statements (see Appendix) Students will respond individually, then discusstheir ideas in small groups, coming to consensus on whether they agree, while noting anydisagreements among group members.

Exploring the Idea: On the basis of student responses to the A/D statements, the teacher can group students

based on similar ideas. Each group should be provided with an assortment of magnets andmaterials in order to test their ideas.

Guiding questions should be used to push student thinking further and help clarify theirthinking, as well as encourage additional explorations:

o What does it mean to attract? Repel?o Does it matter how far away the magnet is from the other magnet/object?o What happens when you turn the magnet/object another way?o Does it matter what type of material is between the magnet and the object it is

attracting?o

What do you notice about the kinds of materials magnets attract? The kind of materialsthey do not attract? How are they alike? Different?

Explanation/ Organizing the Idea: Remind students that scientific claims must be backed up by evidence. Ask students to share a

claim, and the evidence they have to support that claim. Have groups share their observations fromthe exploration. Resolve any inconsistencies by making further observations if necessary. Askstudents to describe the interactions they observed between magnets, and between magnets andthe other items.

Have groups share the ways in which they tested their ideas. Have students compare their initial ideas to their explorations. Were students surprised by anything

they found? At this point, some of the students original ideas may differ from what they observeoccurring. Ask what scientists do when their observations dont match their ideasemphasize thatwhile much of scientific knowledge is durable, it is also tentative or subject to change withnew evidence.

Students may be puzzled by the observation that not all metals are attracted to the magnets,although their observations fail to allow them to discover why this is so. They may be able togeneralize that magnets attract some metals, but not others. The teacher can inform students thatmagnets specifically attract iron, and to a lesser extent, cobalt and nickel. The attraction is basedon a property of the substance itselfthese are special in that they are the only substances a

magnet attracts. As appropriate during student sharing, clarify and/or introduce vocabulary:

o attract (pull toward)o repel (push away)o

magnet (objects that attract and repel each other, and attract certain metals)

Emphasize that understandings scientists develop can often have practical applications to our dailylives, and be useful for solving problems. Students will be exploring this in the next activity.


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Extend/ Applying the Idea: Pose the following scenario to students, having them do a THINK-PAIR-SHARE to discuss:

The local recycling center is looking for more effective ways of separating recycled items, forexample, sorting out cans from plastic containers. Would a magnet be useful for this? Why orwhy not?

In the above situation, students should realize that magnets will only be able to sort out objects thatcontain iron, but not other metals such as aluminum cans, and so magnets are not useful forsolving this particular problem. What kinds of problems might magnets be useful for solving? Referback to students examples from the Engage phase of the lessoncan they identify the problemsthat magnets were being used to solve for each example they gave?

Extending Further: If students need further experiences, it may help to bring in several examples ofitems that use magnets for students to examine and discuss in terms of the problem, design, andsolution. Students should explain the role the magnet plays and the types of interactions utilized.

Evaluation: Tell students that now that they have learned about magnets, they will be identifying a problem and

proposing a solution that utilizes magnets. (Their solution, or invention, can be a new idea, or animprovement on an old idea.) On the assigned date, students will present their ideas at anInvention Convention. They will make use of technology to enhance communication of their ideas(e.g., desktop publishing, multimedia applications)

Students will present their inventions at an Invention Convention. Presentations will be followedby a question/answer period.

Following the Convention, a whole-class discussion should focus on the way science andtechnology influence one another:

o How is scientific knowledge important to inventors? What knowledge did you use to makeyour invention?

o How are inventions/technology helpful to scientists? Can you think of any examples?(microscope, telescope, etc.)

[You will be creating evaluation criteria for student inventions as part of the Assessment Project for thiscourse, so none is provided here.]

References:National Research Council. (1996). The national science education standards.Washington, D.C.: National

Academy Press.Keeley, P. (2008). Science formative assessment: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment,instruction, and learning.Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.


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Agree and Disagree Statements

Statement How can you find out?

1. Magnets attract some objects, and repel others.

_____ agree ______ disagree

_____ It depends ______ not sure

My thoughts:

2. Magnets attract metals.



My thoughts:

3. Magnetism can pass through other materials.



My thoughts:

Documents

Magnet Learningcycle