A Study of Forces: Magnetism

Time Required

Planning

This learning experience takes about one hour and thirty minutes (ninety minutes) to plan. This specified time includes finding a copy of The Mystery of Magnets big book, to log on to BrainPOP Jr., to create the Mighty Magnet worksheet, Magnets writing worksheet, and the Magnet acrostic poems. Also, to make copies of the worksheets, to find the materials needed for testing, to locate magnets for each student, and to create writing prompts for the students’ writing.

Implementation

This learning experience was designed to be taught (and completed) in a seventy minute science block.

Assessment

The pre-assessment and post-assessment tasks were administered as a whole group. The pre-assessment takes about ten minutes to complete and the post-assessment takes approximately twenty minutes to complete; the time will change based on the students’ needs. The pre-assessment can be graded on the spot and the post-assessment will take a couple minutes per student to grade.

Schedule
Within the Unit:

This magnet learning experience is a part of a Science unit about forces. Specifically, this learning experience is day two of the unit. The first day is spent giving a brief overview of all of the forces and key vocabulary that will be taught throughout the forces unit. However, this learning experience is day one (of three) of the magnet portion of the unit.

Forces Unit:

  • Day one: Overview of key vocabulary and a description of the upcoming tasks. Also, use the iron filings jar to do a magic trick. Have the students see how the iron filings get pulled to the magnet and stand up in the jar. Then, secretly take out the magnet and have the students try to figure out how to get the iron filings to stand up in the jar. Repeat these steps until the students are hooked and eager to learn about magnets/forces.
  • Day Two: (This Learning Experience) Make predictions about magnetism, watch BrainPOP Jr. video, read The Mystery of Magnets, test specified objects and glue on yes/no Mighty Magnets worksheet, and write about findings.
  • Day Three: Test to see what objects are magnetic and nonmagnetic in the classroom and complete the magnet/nonmagnetic craft.
  • Day Four: Complete magnetic games (in centers). The students try to get paperclips out of a glass filled with water, get a car through the construction paper racetrack (without having the magnet directly touch the car), and the students learn about magnetic poles (complete the Magnetic Poles worksheet).
  • Day Five: Read a book on gravity. Students draw a picture of their favorite place in school or their house with gravity and then draw the same
    picture as if there was not gravity. The students then write about their findings and the differences between the pictures.
  • Day Six: The students get a plastic object attached to yarn. The students are asked to push and then pull the object. After, the teacher describes how the students used the forces of push and pull. Students then identify objects that they push or pull and how they know what force is being used (on the Push and Pull worksheet).
  • Day Seven: Start by reading a book on friction. Also, the teacher would have previously made a ramp. One side of the ramp is smooth and the other side of the ramp is made with sandpaper (the students use this ramp for experiments). The students use interactive writing to make their predictions on what will happen when a smooth box is placed on the smooth side of the ramp. After the teacher shows the students what happens (using the ramp) and then the students write about what actually happened. After, the teacher repeats the same procedure for the other side of the ramp (which is made of sandpaper).
  • Day Eight: Watch BrainPOP Jr. videos and PBS Kids videos to remind the students of what they learned throughout the unit. The students then use both their individual laptops and the SMART Board (by taking turns) to play PBS Kids and BrainPOP Jr. games on the forces. The games are used to once again remind the students of what they learned during the unit.
  • Day Nine: Take a summative multiple choice assessment on the forces. Also, the students write about their favorite force and why it is their favorite force.

Within the Year:

First grade teachers concentrate on teaching about the Earth, matter, forces, and the living environment throughout the year. Specifically, the forces unit takes place in the third marking period. The unit stretches from mid-February to mid-March. With that being said, this learning experience was taught in the third week in February.