Teacher Candidate: Carol Farrow
Supervising Teacher: Brenda Young
Grade: 4th
School: Antioch Elementary
Date Implemented: January 30 – February 3, 2006
Content: Science
Electromagnets
I. Class Description: 25 students; 12 girls, 13 boys; 2 Alpha; 4 EIP
II. Objective: The students will circle a definition of electromagnets, write the
differences between electromagnets and permanent magnets and hypothesize how
electromagnets can be made stronger on a teacher made worksheet with 100% mastery. a
Georgia Performance Standard: SP42: Students will develop an understanding of
magnets and magnetism.
III. Pre-Assessment: Before the lesson is taught, the teacher will give each student a
teacher made worksheet. The students will circle the definition of electromagnet, write
the differences between electromagnets and permanent magnets and hypothesize how
electromagnets can be made stronger. The teacher will tell the students that they will be
learning about electromagnets in science the next week. The teacher will collect the
papers and analyze the results of the pre-assessment. If the majority of the class already
knows about electromagnets, then the teacher will have to replace her lesson. If the
majority of the students do not know about electromagnets, the teacher will go ahead
with the lesson plan already planned.
IV. Procedures:
Monday January 30, 2006
The teacher will read the book All About Electricity to the class. The teacher and class
will discuss electricity and all the different forms of electricity. The teacher will hand out
a sheet in which students will write about living in a world without electricity.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (January 31 – February 2)
The teacher will divide the class into cooperative groups and go over cooperative group
rules. The teacher will appoint a materials manager for each group. The teacher will go
over the vocabulary words written on the board: coil, core, electromagnet, and magnetic.
The teacher will show the students the good magnet’s and weak magnet’s strengths and
then ask them why the results happen. The teacher will ask the students if there is any
way that a magnet could be made that is both weak and strong. The teacher will ask the
students what an electromagnet is and how it differs from a bar magnet. The teacher will
ask the students what is a graph. The teacher will also make sure that the students
remember what hypothesize means.
The teacher will state the objectives of the lesson. The teacher will show the students the
rivets and ask the students to test for magnetism. The teacher will demonstrate making a
wire coil. The teacher will write the number 20 on the board and have the groups make
their own 20 wind coils. The groups will test for magnetism. The teacher will ask the
groups what will happen if we were to add electricity to the rivet. The groups will add
electricity. The teacher will ask how electromagnets differ from a permanent magnet.
The teacher will ask the students what causes the rivet to become a magnet and what
causes the magnetism to go away.
The teacher will ask the students to hypothesize how many washers a 20 wind coil will
pick up and then have them investigate the strength of the 20 wind coil. Each group will
perform the test twice and record the final try on the Current Attractions sheet (See
attachment 2). The teacher will ask the students to hypothesize how many washers a 40
wind coil will pick up and then have them investigate the strength of a 40 wind coil. The
teacher and the class will discuss the results of the experiments. The teacher will ask the
class if the number of winds of wire around the core affects the strength of the
electromagnet. The teacher will as the students to predict how many washers a 30 wind
coil will pick up and then have them investigate. The students will graph the results on
the current attractions sheet.
The teacher will ask the materials manager to return the materials to the front of the
room. The teacher will review which electromagnet was the strongest and weakest; the
materials needed to make an electromagnet; how permanent and electromagnets are alike
and different; what are the advantages/disadvantages of each; and how to make a stronger
electromagnet.
V. Independent Practice/Assessment:
The students will circle the definition of electromagnet, write the differences between
electromagnets and permanent magnets and hypothesize how to make an electromagnet
stronger on a teacher made worksheet with 100% mastery (See attachment 3). The sheets
will be graded by the teacher.
VI. Closure: The teacher will ask the students what they learned about electricity,
electromagnets, and predicting what will happen with electromagnets.
VII. Materials/Supplies:
a. 1 Rivet (per group)
b. 1 Electromagnet wire – 150cm (per group)
c. 1 Circuit Base (per group)
d. 1 D-cell battery (per group)
e. 1 Switch (per group)
f. 1 short wire – 15 cm (per group)
g. 50 small washers (per group)
h. 1 plastic cup (per group)
i. Current Attractions sheet (attachment 2)
j. Pre/test and Post/test (attachment 1, 3)
k. 1 doughnut shaped magnet (per group)
l. 1 wire stripper
VIII. Enrichment:
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
The students will go to www.factmonster.com and play learning games about
electricity and magnets.
The students will watch a filmstrip on www.unitedstreaming.com about
electricity
IX. Accommodations:
a. The students will work in cooperative groups.
b. Key terms will be written on the board for learners wh.