Curated OER
The Magnetometer
Students build an instrument. In this magnetism lesson, students learn about the north and south poles of magnets and build a magnetometer that detects the direction of a magnetic field.
Curated OER
Terrabagga Activity using a Magnetometer
Learners use a magnetometer to determine the orientation of a magnetic field. In this magnetism instructional activity, students build a simulated planet and use a simple magnetometer to determine the orientation of their planet's...
Curated OER
We're Off To the Races!
Second graders use a magnet to "race" objects from one side of a racing track to another. They predict what the results are, then run the race. Pupils sort and graph which items were successfully moved, they attempt to race again. This...
Cornell University
Exploring Rocks and Minerals
Investigate the properties of rocks and minerals through a rockin' hands-on activity. Learners test rocks for various properties and, using a guide, attempt to identify different samples. They use various properties including hardness,...
Curated OER
Green Team
Student explore the relationship of static electricity to current electricity, circuits, electromagnets, electro generators, and public electric utilities. In this Green Team lesson plan, 4th graders participate in hands-on science...
Curated OER
Get Charged!
Students explore the concept of electricity in this activity based unit. In this physical science lesson plan, students focus on electricity and electrical engineering. The teaching unit includes 5 activities to develop students...
Cornell University
Thin Films
Combine mathematics and science to calculate measurements of unmeasurable materials. Individuals use knowledge of density and volume to determine the thickness of the film used in production. They also apply stoichiometry to determine...
Curated OER
Natural Disasters and the Five Themes of Geography
Have your class do research on natural disasters and create a presentation using this resource. In completing this activity, learners apply the five geography themes to their research. They write a paper describing their results. It's a...
Teach Engineering
Magnetic Materials
The design challenge: develop a method to separate steel from aluminum. The first lesson plan in an eight-part series introduces the class to the grand challenge of ciming up with a method to streamline a sorting process at a recycling...
Curated OER
What Do Magnets Do?
Second graders discover the physical properties of magnets. In this physics lesson, 2nd graders investigate the differences between natural and man made magnets and the uses of each. Students complete 4 separate RAFT assignments based...
Curated OER
Electricity and Magnetism
Fourth graders compare electricity and magnetism. In this science lesson, 4th graders discuss the concepts of electricity and magnetism and brainstorm examples of electrical and magnetic forces.
Curated OER
Science: Building an Electric Motor
Students build their own electric motors and use them to conduct experiments. Following a step-by-step procedure, they make wire coils by wrapping wire around disc magnets and complete the process with clay, paper clips, alligator clips,...
Curated OER
Roller Coaster Simulator for the Magnetic Chalkboard: Construction Plans
Students watch a demonstration that allows the teacher to show Galileo's inertia experiment and how and why the hills on roller coasters are designed as they are. The roller coaster simulator can be mounted on a magnetic chalkboard;...
Curated OER
Ode to the Earth: Magnetic Poetry
Students explore Earth Day by creating an arts and crafts project. For this nature appreciation lesson, students utilize nature related vocabulary terms on magnets and put them in different orders to create interesting poetry. Students...
Curated OER
QuickTime Science Project
Fifth graders divide into teams and select a simple science topic to explain and illustrate. They should pick a topic that they can illustrate with a very short (about 15-20 seconds) video clip, or QuickTime movie.
Curated OER
Electromagnetism
Students explore the generation of magnetic fields from currents in wires and measure the magnetic field directions. They measure magnetic fields in their own environment. They also examine how moving magnetic fields can create currents.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Yogurt Cup Speakers
Sixth graders build a speaker as they investigate the roles of electricity and magnetism. They discover the properties of magnets, create an electromagnet, and determine the direction of a magnetic field. They show cause and effect...
Curated OER
The Flying Paperclip
Students investigate items that interrupt magnetic fields. In this physics lesson plan, students explain why the paper clip in the experiment seems to fly. They write a detailed explanation of what they did in this activity.
Curated OER
Interaction at a Distance
Students explore magnetism. In this magnetism lesson plan, students discover the purpose of different magnets. Students perform an experiment by testing the magnetism through different items. Students collect data on the experiment.
Curated OER
The Earth and the Compass
Fifth graders construct a water compass to investigate the effects of Earth's magnetic field and other sources of magnetism. They predict, observe and draw conclusions from their investigation.
Curated OER
What's the Attraction
Students sort objects based on magnetism. In this magnetism lesson, students are given a variety of objects, then predict whether the object will be attracted to a magnet and test their hypothesis as they sort the objects into "yes" and...
Curated OER
Make Your Own Compass
Students explore magnetism. In this "magnets" science lesson, students make a compass with common household items and explain the relationship between what a compass does and the earth's magnetic fields.
Curated OER
Deducing Induction
Students examine how changing magnetic fields induce currents in
loops and coils, determine orientation and magnitude of magnetic field,
describe Michael Faraday's experiments that led to conclusion that changing
magnetic force induces...