GRADE: Kindergarten

CONTENT STANDARD: Physical Science

CONTENT TOPIC: Electricity/Magnetism

CONCEPT: Magnets attract and repel.

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: 0B3.00 To understand the basic properties of magnets

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE: The learner will:

3.01 observe that magnets vary in size and use.
3.02 observe that magnets can attract.
3.03 observe that magnets can repel.

I. Magnetic vary in size and shape
II. Magnets attract
III. Magnets repel
IV. Magnets vary in use

TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Process Of Science

TN GOAL:

To enable students to demonstrate the process of science by posing questions and investigating phenomena through language, methods and instruments of science

1.2 QUESTIONING - The development of an inquisitive mind and the effective use of questioning techniques furthers the acquisition of information.

1.2a Initial information and prior knowledge are used to ask questions.

BENCHMARK; Students have natural curiosity causing them to raise questions about the world around them.

1.2b Questions may be structured so that they can be investigated scientifically.

BENCHMARK: Students will seek answers to questions by making careful observations.

TIME REQUIRED:

Three lessons, 20 minutes each

"Mickey's Magnet" by F. Branley and E. Vaughan, two large bar magnets, magnets of different sizes and shapes, a variety of small items both metallic and non-metallic, aluminum cans and bobby pins, a small steel magnetic car, salt dough recipe and materials needed, salt, flour, water, enough small round or strip magnets for each child, a compass, and pictures of people using magnets

(NOTE: Just before the lesson, distribute the different shaped magnets and items from the centers to all tables. Have the students divide the items into two piles, those that "stick" to the magnet and those that do not "stick" to the magnet.)

SET:

(Set up a learning center about a week or so before introducing the lesson. Place various shapes and sizes of magnets in the learning center. Put a box of various materials to check if they are attracted to the magnet. Have only iron-based metal and non-metallic items. Have two smaller boxes labeled "Yes" and "No". If it is attracted to the magnet, put it in the "Yes" box. If not, then put it in the "No" box.) Today boys and girls, we are going to learn about magnets.

(Have a child from each table bring a magnet to the front.) Do all these magnets look the same? (response - No) Magnets may not be shaped the same, but they all do the same thing. They all PULL certain things to them and then these things stick to the magnet. When this happens, we say that these things are ATTRACTED (Write attracted on the board) to the magnet. Point to the items on your table that are attracted to the magnet. Tell your partner that these items are attracted to the magnet. (Demonstrate the pulling motion by using a little care with wheels.) Boys and girls, please tell your partner what happened, be sure to use the word "attracted".

Now look at the items on your table and think about all the items in the center. Were all the items attracted to the magnet? (response -No) No, some were attracted and some were not. Let's think about the things that are attracted to the magnet. How are they all alike? (Elicit that they were all made of metal.) Now, what we have seen is that only metals are attracted to magnets. Now we are going to test that "theory" or idea. (Put an aluminum can and a bobby pin on each table and allow the students to test the theory. Then ask if all metals are attracted to the magnet.) (response) (Explain that not all metals are attracted to magnets. Only a special kind of metal called "iron" (write on board) is attracted to magnets. Ask if the can and bobby pin are made from iron. (response) How do you know? (response)

(Ask,) "What are we studying about today?" (response) Do all magnets look alike? (response) (Have someone from each table hold up their magnet and describe it.) How are all magnets the same? (response) That is right. They attract things made from iron. (Pass out magnet shaped paper - page 4. Have students write a magnet fact or draw pictures of things attracted to magnets. Have students cut them out and display.)

(Allow students to experiment in the learning center. Explain to the students that you will be changing the magnet center. Take out all non-metallic materials. Add some metals not made from iron, along with additional iron-based materials. Direct the students to experiment and put iron-based metals into the "Yes" box and metals without iron into the "No" box. Encourage them to use the words attracted and not attracted as they use the center materials.)

(Add to the learning center the following activities:
1. Paper clips in a glass
2. Paper clips in a bowl of water
3. Paper clips under a sheet of paper)
(Allow students to experiment to see if magnets can pull through glass, water, and paper.)

MATERIALS:

One-fourth cup of salt
1 cup of flour
6 Tablespoons of water

Today you are making a magnet holder to "hold up" your art work on the refrigerator at home. (Allow to dry overnight or bake in a warm oven on 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Paint when dry. When paint dries, glue small magnet on the back.) Our art project will also help us to learn how magnets are used.

We each made a magnet holder to put up our pictures on the refrigerator. This is one way that many people use magnets every day. But magnets have many more uses than this. Does anyone know how else magnets are used? (response) Yes, some of us have games that use magnets, some can openers have magnets to keep the lid from falling back into the can, and some doors have magnets to keep them closed.

Think about the ways Mickey used the magnet in the story we read yesterday. Do you remember? (He used them to pick up pins, clips etc.) Have you ever seen, on T.V. or in a picture, a giant magnet picking up crushed cars. (If possible, show a picture.) (Hold up a compass.) Who know what this is? (response) A compass has a magnet in it that always points North. This will help you if you get lost.

What did we learn about magnets today? (response) Who can tell me a way that magnets are used? (response) Have students draw a picture of how magnets are used. compile into a class book entitled, "Magnets at Work."

Take your magnet holder home and use it on your refrigerator. Look for other magnets and how they are used in your house.

SET:

(Set up a learning center about a week before introducing the lesson. Put two bar magnets in the center. Clearly mark each pole. Direct the children to put the two ends that match together and feel what happens. Then put the other two ends together and feel what happens. Encourage the children to talk about their discoveries. On the day of the lesson, say,) "Boys and girls, we have learned many things about magnets. We know they come in different sizes and shapes and have many uses. We have seen that magnets can pull things to them. We call this attraction. Today, we will see that magnets can also PUSH away.

I want you to remember the work you did with the two bar magnets (hold them up) in our center. Remember that each end was clearly marked with either an "N" for north pole or with an "S" for south pole. Who remembers what happened when you put a North with a South end? (Demonstrate action and take responses.) That is right, they pulled together. They attracted one another. Paula Abdul sings a song called "Opposites Attract." Do you remember it? This saying came from magnets. The opposite ends of magnets "like each other." They pull together. They attract (write on board) each other. I am writing the big "A" word on the board. Tell your partner what happens when you put opposite ends of a magnet together. (response) Very good. Opposites attract one another. Now face your partner and give him/her a "high five." Your hands are coming together or "attracting" each other like opposite ends of a magnet. Smile at each other. Now I want you to think back to what happened when you tried to put the same ends, two "norths" or two "souths," together. Who remembers? (response) That's right, they pushed each other away. (demonstrate) And you could feel it, too! No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't get them together. We have a big word for this. We say that they REPEL each other. (Write the word on the board.) Can you say that big word? (response) The same ends of the magnets don't like each other. They push each other away. They repel each other. Tell your partner what happens when you put the same ends of a magnet together. (response) Now face your partner and put up your hands like you did before. Instead of attracting, you will repel each other, back off and frown.

(Pass around the bar magnets to allow each child to feel how they attract and repel. Encourage them to use the words as the action happens. While individual children are involved in this, write a language experience story about magnets with the class.)

(Leave the learning center open for a few more days. Put labeled posters of magnets attracting and repelling. Encourage children to use their new vocabulary words.)

Boys and girls, I am going to point to the big "R" word on the board. Whisper to me what that word is. Now face your partner and show me what it means. (Repeat procedure for the "A" word.)

This is the time this file has been accessed since 03/01/97.

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