Download Electromagnificent lesson plan


I.
Electromagnificent
by
Todd
Ramsey
II.
III.
Grade
Level:
Physical
Science
7
Length
of
Lesson:
4
days
IV.
Overview
In
this
inquiry
lesson,
students
will
be
investigating
electromagnetism.
Students
will
analyze
how
they
can
affect
the
strength
of
an
electromagnet
and
measure
those
changes.
This
is
an
open
inquiry
lesson,
so
rather
than
giving
students
a
question
to
investigate,
you
will
facilitate
them
creating
their
own
testable
questions
about
electromagnet
strength
and
planning
their
own
procedures
for
investigating
their
questions.
V.
Context
of
the
Lesson
This
lesson
is
best
taught
after
a
unit
on
electricity
and
magnetism.
Students
should
have
an
understanding
of
the
basic
construction
of
an
electromagnet,
as
well
as
some
facility
with
experimental
design
and
the
scientific
process.
They
should
be
able
to
explain
current,
voltage,
magnetic
field,
and
magnetic
strength
in
the
context
of
electromagnetism.
In
this
lesson,
they
will
be
using
various
materials
to
alter
the
strength
of
an
electromagnet,
which
should
give
them
a
deeper
understanding
of
electromagnetic
strength
as
a
dynamic
quantity
as
well
as
of
experimental
design.
Use
the
results
of
the
pre‐assessment
(see
Resources)
to
group
students
of
like
abilities
together.
This
lesson
uses
a
variety
of
adaptations
for
diverse
learners
(differentiation
strategies):
kinesthetic
learners
can
manipulate
the
electromagnets;
visual
learners
will
see
the
different
manipulations
and
the
graphs
of
results;
and
auditory
learners
will
listen
to
class
and
group
discussions.
VI.
Connections
to
State
and
National
Standards
Next
Generation
Science
Standards:
• MS‐PS2‐3
Students
who
demonstrate
understanding
can:
Ask
questions
about
data
to
determine
the
factors
that
affect
the
strength
of
electric
and
magnetic
forces.
•
MS‐PS2‐5
Students
who
demonstrate
understanding
can:
Conduct
an
investigation
and
evaluate
the
experimental
design
to
provide
evidence
that
fields
exist
between
objexts
exerting
forces
on
each
other
even
though
the
objects
are
not
in
contact.
Virginia
Standards
of
Learning
(SOLs):
• SOL
PS.1
The
student
will
demonstrate
an
understanding
of
scientific
reasoning,
logic,
and
the
nature
of
science
by
planning
and
conducting
investigations
in
which
f)
independent
and
dependent
variables,
constants,
controls,
and
repeated
trials
are
identified;
g)
data
tables
showing
the
independent
and
dependent
variables,
derived
quantities,
and
the
number
of
trials
are
constructed
and
interpreted;
h)
data
tables
for
descriptive
statistics
showing
specific
measures
of
central
tendency,
the
range
of
the
data
set,
and
the
number
of
repeated
trials
are
constructed
and
interpreted;
Electromagnificent
1
i)
frequency
distributions,
scatterplots,
line
plots,
and
histograms
are
constructed
and
interpreted;
j)
valid
conclusions
are
made
after
analyzing
data;
k)
research
methods
are
used
to
investigate
practical
problems
and
questions;
l)
experimental
results
are
presented
in
appropriate
written
form;
m)
models
and
simulations
are
constructed
and
used
to
illustrate
and
explain
phenomena;
and
n)
current
applications
of
physical
science
concepts
are
used.
•
SOL
PS.11
The
student
will
investigate
and
understand
basic
principles
of
electricity
and
magnetism.
Key
concepts
include
a)
static
electricity,
current
electricity,
and
circuits;
b)
relationship
between
a
magnetic
field
and
an
electric
current;
c)
electromagnets,
motors,
and
generators
and
their
uses.
VII.
Unit
Goals
and
Lesson
Objectives
a. Know
(facts)
o
o
o
o
o
Electromagnet
Current
Voltage
Magnetic
field
Magnetic
strength
b. Understand
(big
idea)
An
electromagnet
has
properties
that
can
be
varied
to
change
its
strength.
c.
Do
(skills)
VIII.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Design
a
testable
question
about
electromagnet
strength.
Design
and
implement
an
experiment.
Create
a
data
table
to
record
data.
Measure
the
strength
of
an
electromagnet.
Graph
the
data.
Analyze
results
and
present
them
to
the
class.
Pre­assessment
of
students’
prior
knowledge
and/or
skills
In
order
to
do
this
investigation,
students
should
be
familiar
with
the
components
of
an
electromagnet
and
how
they
work.
Use
the
pre‐assessment
(see
Resources)
to
get
a
sense
of
your
students’
content
knowledge
about
electromagnets,
as
well
as
their
facility
with
and
comprehension
of
experimental
design.
Give
them
the
pre‐assessment
two
days
before
this
investigation.
If
there
are
any
major
misconceptions
about
electromagnetism,
use
the
day
before
the
lesson
to
address
them
in
a
class
discussion.
Use
the
results
of
the
pre‐assessment
to
group
students
of
like
knowledge
and
abilities
together
in
order
to
encourage
collaboration
as
well
as
allow
you
to
give
more
focused
instruction
to
the
groups
that
are
struggling
and
for
the
more
advanced
groups
to
challenge
themselves
further.
IX.
Materials
Pre‐assessment:
Electromagnificent
2
X.
•
•
•
Pre‐assessment
paper/pencil
worksheet
Graph
paper
Pencils
Open
Inquiry
Lesson:
• Nails
of
varying
size
• Pencils
• Copper
wire
of
varying
thickness
• Batteries
(D,
AA,
AAA,
9V)
• Paperclips
• Rubber
bands
• Forming
Your
Question
handout
Post‐assessment:
• Post‐assessment
paper/pencil
worksheet
• Pencils
Level
of
Inquiry:
Open
This
is
an
open
inquiry
lesson.
Students
will
formulate
their
own
questions,
work
together
in
groups
to
plan
and
carry
out
their
own
investigations,
choose
their
own
materials,
collect
and
analyze
data,
and
present
data
to
the
class.
You
may
need
to
encourage
and
prompt
students
to
generate
their
own
testable
questions,
especially
if
they
are
not
familiar
with
inquiry‐based
learning,
but
you
should
act
as
a
facilitator
rather
than
an
instructor
and
ensure
that
your
students
are
actively
engaged.
XI.
Teaching
Strategies
Pre­Assessment
Give
this
at
least
2
days
before
this
investigation.
If
your
students
are
not
familiar
with
electromagnetism,
use
the
day
before
the
investigation
to
lead
a
class
discussion
in
which
you
will
clear
up
any
misconceptions.
Day
1
Have
ready
an
electromagnet
you
have
already
constructed:
put
a
D
battery
in
a
holder
with
a
copper
wire
inserted
at
each
end
and
then
wrapped
several
times
around
a
nail.
Only
connect
the
ends
of
the
wire
to
the
battery
terminals
for
brief
periods
of
time.
Otherwise
the
battery
will
drain
quickly.
At
the
beginning
of
class,
pass
this
around
to
the
class
and
ask
questions
about
the
function
of
each
of
the
materials
in
the
electromagnet.
Scatter
some
paper
clips
on
a
table
and
use
the
electromagnet
to
pick
several
up.
Ask
students
to
start
thinking
about
how
they
might
increase
or
decrease
the
strength
of
the
electromagnet.
Present
the
materials
that
are
available
to
the
students
for
their
investigation,
then
divide
the
class
into
the
groups
you
have
decided
on
based
on
pre‐assessment
data.
Have
each
group
come
up
with
a
testable
question.
If
you
feel
it
necessary,
you
may
want
to
take
some
time
to
discuss
with
the
class
what
makes
a
question
testable.
Make
sure
they
understand
that
a
testable
question
is
one
that
can
be
answered
by
designing
and
carrying
out
an
experiment
with
measurable
results,
and
one
that
involves
cause
and
effect,
or
changing
one
thing
to
see
how
that
change
affects
another
thing
(“How
does
__________
affect
___________?”;
“What
is
the
relationship
between
_________
and
_____________?”).
As
they
discuss,
circulate
throughout
the
classroom,
jotting
down
notes
on
their
discussions
and
asking
guiding
questions
if
they
are
struggling.
Offer
groups
that
need
more
guidance
the
“Forming
Your
Question”
handout
to
help
them
come
up
with
a
question.
Electromagnificent
3
Once
each
group
has
formulated
a
question,
write
all
the
questions
on
the
SMART
board
and
have
the
class
as
a
whole
evaluate
whether
the
questions
are
testable.
If
they
are
not
testable,
solicit
suggestions
from
the
whole
class
for
rewording
the
questions
to
make
them
testable.
(Some
examples
of
possible
student‐generated
testable
questions:
How
does
the
number
of
wraps
of
wire
around
a
nail
affect
the
strength
of
the
electromagnet?
How
does
the
size
of
the
battery
connected
to
the
electromagnet
affect
the
strength
of
the
electromagnet?
How
do
different
conductors
affect
the
strength
of
the
electromagnet?
How
does
the
size
of
the
wire
affect
the
strength
of
the
electromagnet?)
When
each
group
is
satisfied
with
their
question,
have
them
create
a
procedure
and
design
a
data
table.
Ask
students
how
they
can
reliably
measure
the
strength
of
an
electromagnet.
If
they
are
having
a
hard
time,
you
may
suggest
using
a
paper
clip
‘hook’
and
counting
the
number
of
paperclips
that
can
be
added
before
the
hook
falls
off.
You
may
also
consider
using
single
staples
to
add
to
the
hook
to
tease
out
slight
differences
in
the
strengths.
If
there
is
time,
have
students
pretend
to
follow
their
procedure
step
by
step
to
make
sure
it
is
detailed
enough.
Encourage
them
to
discuss
and
evaluate
as
they
go,
so
that
they
can
change
things
as
needed.
Circulate
through
the
room
as
they
discuss,
jotting
down
notes
on
their
discussions
of
experimental
procedure
(your
notes
will
be
part
of
your
formative
assessment,
as
well
as
a
subtle
way
to
keep
students
on
task).
Ask
guiding
questions
if
needed
about
procedural
steps,
appropriate
data
collection
in
terms
of
measurability
and
number
of
trials,
dependent
and
independent
variables,
etc.
Day
2
Have
students
perform
their
experiments,
collect
their
data,
and
graph
them.
Circulate
through
the
room
as
they
discuss,
jotting
down
notes,
offering
help,
and
asking
guiding
questions.
Check
to
make
sure
the
students
are
collecting
measurable
data
and
that
they
are
performing
multiple
trials.
You
will
also
need
to
keep
an
eye
on
the
actual
construction
of
the
electromagnets
(troubleshooting)
and
ensure
that
students
are
only
connecting
the
electromagnet
to
the
battery
when
testing
so
the
battery
does
not
drain
quickly.
If
there
are
problems
with
the
experimental
design,
that
is
a
good
learning
opportunity
–
but
problems
with
the
physical
construction
of
the
magnet
should
be
solved
so
they
can
move
ahead
with
their
investigations.
Rubber
bands
may
be
helpful
for
holding
loose
wires
in
place,
for
example.
Day
3
Once
they
have
all
collected
their
data
in
their
data
tables,
have
them
graph
them
and
discuss
conclusions.
Then
invite
them
to
make
posters,
which
they
will
present
the
following
day.
On
their
posters,
they
should
include:
their
testable
question;
their
data
table;
their
graph;
and
their
conclusion.
As
you
circulate
through
the
room,
be
alert
to
experimental
error
and
invite
any
groups
with
outlier
points
on
their
graphs
to
start
thinking
about
why
these
occurred.
Day
4
Have
students
present
their
findings
to
the
class.
Using
the
rubric
(see
Resources),
evaluate
the
presentations,
and
encourage
students
to
take
notes
on
each
others’
presentations
as
well.
Then
lead
a
class
discussion
comparing
questions,
procedures,
and
results.
Discuss
dependent
and
independent
variables,
and
make
sure
your
students
have
a
good
handle
on
what
these
are.
Discuss
measurability
by
asking
whether
each
group
thinks
their
results
would
be
replicable
by
another
group.
If
there
are
any
outlier
data
points,
use
them
as
a
springboard
to
a
discussion
of
experimental
error
and
variance:
have
the
students
whose
group
found
the
outliers
offer
their
ideas
about
why
they
happened,
and
solicit
ideas
from
the
class
as
well.
Ask
what
might
work
to
minimize
error
in
the
future.
Electromagnificent
4
If
you
have
time,
open
the
discussion
to
real‐life
uses
of
electromagnetism;
ask
what
other
concepts
might
come
into
play
(advanced
students
may
ask
about
Ohm’s
Law,
for
example);
and
solicit
student
input
on
this
open
inquiry
style
of
teaching.
Ask
them
what
they’ve
learned,
what
they
came
up
with
on
their
own,
what
they
learned
from
other
groups,
and
what
they
would
like
to
investigate
further.
After
all
the
groups
have
presented,
collect
the
posters
for
assessment.
A
day
or
two
after
the
lesson,
give
students
a
post‐assessment.
VII.
Assessment
Plan
As
stated
in
section
VII,
the
goals
for
this
open
inquiry
lesson
include
knowledge
about
electromagnetism
and
about
experimental
design.
Assessment
of
these
learning
goals
is
accomplished
through
multiple
measures.
Summative
assessments
include
the
pre‐
and
post‐assessment.
The
pre‐assessment
will
help
you
determine
your
students’
level
of
knowledge
about
electromagnets,
as
well
as
their
understanding
of
features
of
the
scientific
process,
including
dependent
and
independent
variables.
Comparison
of
student
performance
on
the
pre‐
and
post‐assessments
should
give
you
a
good
sense
of
how
successfully
the
lesson
objectives
were
met.
Formative
assessments
include
your
notes
during
group
discussions,
your
completed
rubrics
on
the
class
presentations,
and
the
students’
posters.
These
should
give
you
a
further
sense
of
the
thought
process
of
your
students
and
how
successful
the
lesson
was
in
terms
of
inquiry.
VIII.
Resources
Books:
Adamczyk,
P.
and
Law,
P‐F.
(2008).
Electricity
and
Magnetism
(J.
Chisholm,
Ed.).
Random
House.
DeSpezio,
M.
(2006).
Awesome
experiments
in
electricity
and
magnetism.
Sterling
Publishing.
Llewellyn,
D.
(2007).
Inquire
Within:
Implementing
Inquiry­Based
Science
Standards
in
Grades
3­8,
2nd
Edition.
Corwin
Press.
Websites:
BrainPOP.
(2014).
Electromagnets.
Retrieved
August
14,
2014
from
http://www.brainpop.com/science/energy/electromagnets/preview.weml
M.
Dubson,
C.
Malley,
K.
Perkins,
and
C.
Wieman.
(2013).
Phet
Interactive
Simulation:
Magnets
and
Electromagnets.
Retrieved
August
14,
2014
from
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/magnets‐and‐electromagnets
Electromagnificent
5
Electromagnificent
pre­assessment
1.
How
does
an
electromagnet
work?
2.
Name
the
important
components
of
an
electromagnet.
3.
How
is
an
electromagnet
different
from
a
permanent
magnet?
4.
Trisha
wants
to
figure
out
how
much
water
her
tomato
plants
need
to
grow
best.
She
investigates
by
getting
a
tray
of
4
small
tomato
plants
all
of
the
same
size
from
the
store
and
puts
them
in
a
row
in
her
windowbox.
She
gives
one
a
quarter
cup
of
water
each
day,
one
a
quarter
cup
of
water
every
other
day,
one
a
quarter
cup
of
water
every
third
day,
and
one
a
half
cup
of
water
every
day.
She
measures
their
growth
in
centimeters
once
a
week.
What
is
the
dependent
variable?
What
is
the
independent
variable?
Set
up
a
data
table
and
a
graph
for
this
investigation,
leaving
blank
any
values
you
do
not
yet
know
Electromagnificent
6
Forming
Your
Question
1. What
does
the
object
do?
3.
What
material
could
I
change
to
affect
the
action
on
object?
Electromagnificent
2.
What
kind
of
materials
would
you
need
to
do
an
experiment
on
the
object?
4.
What
could
I
measure
or
how
could
I
observe
what
is
happening
to
the
object?
7
Electromagnificent
Class
Presentation
Assessment
Rubric
Student:____________________________________________________________
CATEGORY
4
3
The
purpose
of
the
The
purpose
of
the
lab
or
the
question
Question/Purpose
lab
or
the
question
to
be
answered
during
the
lab
is
clearly
identified
and
stated.
Experimental
Hypothesis
Variables
Analysis
Error
Analysis
Conclusion
Hypothesized
relationship
between
the
variables
and
the
predicted
results
is
clear
and
reasonable
based
on
what
has
been
studied.
All
variables
are
clearly
described
with
all
relevant
details.
The
relationship
between
the
variables
is
discussed
and
trends/patterns
logically
analyzed.
Predictions
are
made
about
what
might
happen
if
part
of
the
lab
were
changed
or
how
the
experimental
design
could
be
changed.
Experimental
errors,
their
possible
effects,
and
ways
to
reduce
errors
are
discussed.
Conclusion
includes
whether
the
findings
supported
the
hypothesis,
possible
sources
of
error,
and
what
was
learned
from
the
experiment.
to
be
answered
during
the
lab
is
identified,
but
is
stated
in
a
somewhat
unclear
manner.
Hypothesized
relationship
between
the
variables
and
the
predicted
results
is
reasonable
based
on
general
knowledge
and
observations.
All
variables
are
clearly
described
with
most
relevant
details.
The
relationship
between
the
variables
is
discussed
and
trends/patterns
logically
analyzed.
2
The
purpose
of
the
lab
or
the
question
to
be
answered
during
the
lab
is
partially
identified,
and
is
stated
in
a
somewhat
unclear
manner.
Hypothesized
relationship
between
the
variables
and
the
predicted
results
has
been
stated,
but
appears
to
be
based
on
flawed
logic.
Most
variables
are
clearly
described
with
most
relevant
details.
The
relationship
between
the
variables
is
discussed
but
no
patterns,
trends,
or
predictions
are
made
based
on
the
data.
1
The
purpose
of
the
lab
or
the
question
to
be
answered
during
the
lab
is
erroneous
or
irrelevant.
No
hypothesis
has
been
stated.
Variables
are
not
described
OR
the
majority
lack
sufficient
detail.
The
relationship
between
the
variables
is
not
discussed.
Experimental
errors
Experimental
errors
and
their
possible
are
mentioned.
effects
are
discussed.
There
is
no
discussion
of
errors.
Conclusion
includes
whether
the
findings
supported
the
hypothesis
and
what
was
learned
from
the
experiment.
No
conclusion
was
included
in
the
report
OR
shows
little
effort
or
reflection.
Conclusion
includes
what
was
learned
from
the
experiment.
Electromagnificent
8
Electromagnificent
post­assessment
1.
How
does
an
electromagnet
work?
2.
How
is
an
electromagnet
different
from
a
permanent
magnet?
3.
How
would
you
build
the
strongest
electromagnet
possible
given
the
materials
we
used
in
class?
Electromagnificent
9