Lesson Plan – investigating the properties of matter and electricity.
1. This activity can be completed with students in partners or as a center-based activity.
2. Initial set-up
a. Teacher needs one computer (for centre)
b. One Makey Makey Unit plugged in
c. Scratch piano on the screen (http://makeymakey.com/piano/)
d. Make the Scratch piano show up as an icon on your desk-top so students can get back to
it if the windows closes.
e. Set up Makey Makey with a conducting material that will complete the circuit and play a
note
f. Let student play the note
g. Give student the ‘placemat’ to complete
h. The placement requires students to pick four items from around the room, write down
the name of the item and record whether or not it will allow for the circuit to complete
and the noise to be made.
Curriculum Connections
Curriculum Expectations
Science
2.4 use technological problem-solving skills (see
page 16), and knowledge acquired from previous
investigations, to design, build, and test a
structure for a specific purpose (e.g., a tent, a
model of a swing set or other playground
equipment, a bird feeder, a wigwam for people
who need to move throughout the year)
2.3 investigate, through experimentation, the
properties of various materials (e.g., the best
materials for absorbing or repelling water, for
flexibility, for strength: the flexibility of plastic
makes plastic wrap useful for covering food in
order to keep it fresh; the impermeability of
rubber enables rubber boots to keep feet dry)
2.1 follow established safety procedures during
science and technology investigations (e.g., wear
safety goggles when using saws and hammers)
Language
3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly
(e.g., words from their oral vocabulary, the class
word wall, and shared-, guided-, and
independent-reading texts)
1.4 sort ideas and information for their writing in
a variety of ways, with support and direction
(e.g., by using pictures, labels, key words, handdrawn or computer graphics, or simple graphic
organizers such as a web, a list, or a five-W’s
framework: who, what, when, where, why)
How it is met
Students will be predicting which items will
conduct electricity (make the piano work) and
allow for music to be played. They have to
problem-solve which items they think will work.
A trial and error investigation will occur to see
which items allow for electricity to flow.
Students will review proper mechanisms for
working with electricity and the computer.
Students will be trying a variety of items to see
if the piano makes noise or not. They will have
to write ‘oui’ or ‘non’ repeatedly when making
their predictions.
Students will be classifying items into
conductors (‘oui’) and non-conductors (‘non’)
Will the Piano Play?
dessiner une
image
écrire le mot
Oui ou non?
dessiner une
image
écrire le mot
Oui ou non?
dessiner une
image
écrire le mot
Oui ou non?