Download Fatih C. Mercan PHYS 670 – AU 2003 Lesson Plan Title:

Fatih C. Mercan
PHYS 670 – AU 2003
Lesson Plan
Title: Electricity and Magnetism: Are they related?
Grade Level: 6-12
Time Period: 90 minutes
Student Prerequisites: Electric current and basic magnetism concepts
Topics Covered: Electric current, magnetism, and electromagnetism
Materials:
For each group of students:
A 6-volt power supply
A one foot (30 cm) long copper wire
A pocket compass
Brief Overview:
Using process drama approach students will take on the roles of 19th century scientists
and investigate the relationship between electric current and magnetism. A fictitious
historical workshop will provide the context for inquiry. Students will repeat Oersted’s
original experiment, which lead to the discovery of electromagnetism. Using a 6-volt
power supply, a copper wire, and a pocket compass students will describe the magnetic
effects of the electric current.
Setting and Procedure:
1. The lesson will be based on a process drama approach. Process drama is a
teaching technique that involves students assuming roles of other people. It is
structured in a frame, a social gathering in which students will take on the roles of
the people present at this gathering, with a tension, which provides the motivation
and suspense to pursue a particular question. Teacher in role and students in role
are situated in the frame for a purpose, in this particular lesson the purpose to
investigate the relationship between electric current and magnetism.
2. The lesson begins with a fictitious letter from the Danish physicist Oersted. The
letter briefly describes the scientific developments in the turn of the 19th century
and invites other scientists to Copenhagen to investigate electricity and
magnetism. The teacher may read the letter aloud or give a copy of the story to
each group of students.
3. Following are the components of the process drama technique that will be used in
the lesson.
Frame: The workshop held in Copenhagen in 1820.
Teacher in role: The coordinator of the workshop.
Students in role: The scientists (experts) participating in the workshop.
Tension: The question itself: is there a relationship between electric
current and magnetism? If there is can we find it? How can we obtain
supporting evidence?
4. The workshop will start with the opening comments of the Workshop Coordinator
(the teacher). Specifically the coordinator will ask the scientists (students) to form
(if not already formed) research groups in order to work more efficiently. Then as
a preliminary session the coordinator will ask the research groups to discuss:
· What we already know about electric current and magnetism,
· How can we investigate the problem,
· What kind of materials can we use,
· What kind of (systematic) methods can we use?
· How can we obtain supporting evidence? How will we know that
we have found a solution (answer)? What will be good evidence?
Then each group will produce a poster and present their ideas to the other
scientists.
5. After the ideas about how to investigate the problem, depending on time
requirements and teachers inclinations, two strategies can be employed. The first
strategy is to let the students carry out their proposed methods of investigation
and report their findings. The second strategy is, if the research groups did not
come up with the idea to use an electric circuit and a compass, to provide
guidance for having them replicate Oersted’s original experiment. For example
the coordinator can talk about Oersted’s initial experiment and suggest using that
experiment to investigate the problem.
6. Once the research groups conclude their investigations, each group will present
their findings to all workshop participants.
7. After the research groups presented their findings, the workshop participants will
evaluate claims of each group, and synthesize the findings in the workshop
proceedings to be published.
The Story (a fictitious letter from Oersted):
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
April 21st, 1820
Dear Colleagues,
As you know there have been great discoveries about electricity in the last few years.
Perhaps the most important one is Volta’s discovery of a battery that allowed us to have
electric current. Using Volta’s battery now we can do more experiments on electric
current and learn more about the nature of electricity. Unlike electric current we knew
about magnets and magnetism for a long time. As we know it electricity and magnetism
are separate things, however I suspect there is a link between them. In fact I am
convinced that these two must be somehow related. I would like to invite you to
Copenhagen to discuss the topics of electricity and magnetism and help me investigate
the relationship between them.
Best Regards.
Hans Christian Oersted