Science Teaching Series

Internet Resources

I. Developing Scientific Literacy

II. Developing Scientific Reasoning

III. Developing Scientific Understanding

IV. Developing Scientific Problem Solving

V. Developing Scientific Research Skills

VI. Resources for Teaching Science

FOSS Activities - Electricity and Magnetism


1.0 Magnetic Force

  1. Magnets and materials
    • Ferromagnetism
      • Test list of objects to see which things are attracted to magnets
      • Test other things in the classroom
      • Find steel or iron objects that are hidden by paint
    • Attraction & repulsion
    • Magnets have two poles (North & South)
    • Like poles repel
    • Opposite poles attract
      • How do magnets interact with each other?
      • What happens when you string magnets on a pencil?
      • What is force?
      • How many forces are there?
  2. More magnetic properties
    • Magnetic induction in steel
      • Can a steel nail pick up a paperclip?
      • Does a magnet have to touch iron to induce a magnetic field?
    • Magnetic force acts through space and most materials
      • Can a magnet attract a paper clip through paper, foil, etc?
      • Is the magnetic field blocked by anything?
    • magnetic attraction decreases with distance
    • Making "Magnificient Magnetic Models"
  3. Breaking the force
    • The greater the distance between two magnets, the less the force
    • Magnetic fields act through plastic
    • Independent & dependent variables
    • Experimental design, graphs, predictions, multiple trials
    • 0,1,_,3,4,5,6, spacers
  4. Detecting magnetic fields
    • making a compass
      • How can you make the compass easier to read?
    • magnet boxes
      • Why do you use iron filings to detect magnetic fields
    • compases can detect magnetic fields
    • The Earth has a magnetic field

2.0 Making Connections

  1. Charge
    • electrons are negatively charged
    • objects with an excess or defecit of electrons have a charge
    • objects with a similar charge repel
      • hanging, charged balloons
    • objects with disimlar charges attract
  2. Lighting a bulb
    • A circuit is a pathway for electrons
    • A D-cell is one source of electric energy
    • Lightbulbs convert elecric energy into heat and light
      • What happens to the wire when you make a short circuit?
      • Word bank: D-cell, battery, electricity, energy, light, heat, electricity converter, current, circuit, short circuit, components
      • Reading: "Edison Sees the Light... pa 22"
  3. Making a motor run
    • Motors convert elecric energy into kinetic energy when the circuit is closed
    • A schematic is a symbolic system representing circuits
      • Word bank: switch, open circuit, closed circuit, schematic, Fahnstock clip, motion, motor, filament
      • Make schematics of the these circuits.
  4. Conductors and insulators
    • Conductors complete circuits, insulators do not
    • All metals are conductors
      • Build a conductor detector
      • What objects will complete a circuit?
      • Word bank: conductor, insulator
  5. Mystery Boards

3.0 Advanced Connections

  1. Series Circuits
  2. Parallel Circuits
  3. String of lights problem

4.0 Current Attractions

  1. Building an electromagnet
  2. Number of winds
  3. More electromagnets

5.0 Applying Electromagnetism to make a telegraph

  1. Reinventing the telegraph
  2. Long distance messages
  3. Investigation and Experimentation

Test Questions