Electromagnetism_Lesson Plan.doc
Electromagnetism Lesson Plan
Unit: Energy
Standards: Physical Science: Electrical Energy
Performance Objectives:
Content Objective(s): Students will understand:
• moving electrical charges can create a magnet
• temporary magnets can be created using an electrical circuit
• difference between temporary magnets and permanent magnets
Language Objective(s): Students will
• describe what happens to a compass when electricity moves through a wire above it.
• write the results of an experiment that tests the strength of electromagnets
Key Vocabulary:
investigate
describe
washers
electromagnet
core
wrap or winds
results
circuits
compass
Materials Required :
Materials for each group or partnership
iron or steel cores
wire
batteries
washers
plate on which to pour washers
compass
Background:
Students experimented with electromagnets in the third grade.
Lesson Sequence:
Class Period = 50 minutes
Activity
Pass out materials
Making a compass move with a wire & electrical current
Review Vocabulary
Time Allotted
Procedure:
1. To save time, the teacher may want to prepare the electromagnets in advance. This
lesson works well with centers which will reduce preparation time. Set up
electromagnets with 20 wraps around the middle, 20 wraps on top, and 35 wraps
around the middle. At each center, have one type of electromagnet and washers to
test strength. [Be sure that the batteries are near equal in strength. Otherwise the
fewer wrappings may appear to be stronger than higher wrapping electromagnet.]
2. You will also need a center with a compass, a battery, and a piece of wire about one
foot long. This is for the first portion of the lab. You may want to have all groups
working on this at once.
3. Review key vocabulary by discussing what students already know about magnets—
temporary and permanent; compasses, and circuits. This comes from previous
experiments.
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Electromagnetism_Lesson Plan.doc
4. Show a core, and demonstrate how wire is wrapped around it. When electricity
flows through the wire, we create an electromagnet. How can we show that there is
magnetism in electricity? Ask students to do Mini-Experiment #1.
5. Have students predict what will happen with electromagnets when there are more
winds around the core, and when the winds are in different places.
6. Now ask students to continue their investigation by moving from center to center.
Remind students to record their findings on their lab worksheet.
7. Discuss the importance of using results to explain findings. Students will complete
the next portion of their lab worksheet.
8. Using information about types of energy, students complete the worksheet. The
battery is chemical energy, which becomes electrical energy in the wires, and when
wrapped around the iron core becomes electromagnetic energy.
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