Physical
Science Kit Resources
Magnet
and Motors: Tips for Teachers
The following Tips for Teachers were generated to better serve
the Elementary teacher s of the Vancouver School District.
If you have any of your own Tips, please send them to me (Kris
Skrutvold at the following email address: kskrutvo@vansd.org)
and I will post them on the Kit Resources web-site. (Currently
being developed)
Kit Needs and Concerns
- This kit comes with a teacher video and also a set of learning
- center cards
The boxes are too thick for the activity in lesson 3--use two
magnets or get thinner boxes
Flatten the paper clip to the bottom of the magnet so that it
will stay better
Light bulbs are fragile
Need batteries, better batteries (rechargeable)and need a battery
tester
Iron filings
Different sizes and styles of motors for magnets and motors center
Guest speakers, especially. Toledo Edison
Preparation time needs to be allotted-wire cutting and stripping
Make sure students unhook wires to batteries
AC/DC game
Hand generator (order through science catalog)
Contact channel 30 for videos and software: Videos: Science for
You: Magnetism-Compass point north,
Electricity: Where does it come from?; 3-2-1 Contact: Generating
Electricity; Current electricity; Magic School Bus: Gets charged
Lesson 1-2
Use good wire cutters
Lesson 3-4
Store magnets away from compass
Reliable compass concern
Magnetic North and North Magnetic Pole differences
Lesson 5-8
- Safety concern with pins
A quick way to check for dead batteries
No rules for storage of materials
Not enough time - use a shoe box for each student to store their
materials
Standards for drawing battery and light bulb
Batteries should be recycled
-
Lesson 9-12
All students must face north in lesson 12 for the picture
to be accurate on page 43
Light bulb safety
Lesson 13-15
Safety issues concerning alligator clips and nails Figure
14-3 too hard for children to understand - picture should be
larger, and in color to show on and off
Kit Modifications
Lesson 1: What do we already know about Magnets and Motors?
Store batteries properly (cool and dry)
Learning center in the room for students to investigate magnets
Polaroid film has little batteries that can be reused
Keep new batteries on supply and mark them by date
Lesson 2: What can magnets do?
Lesson 3: How can you find out what magnets can do?
Make a chart to record observations
Bill Nye video on magnetism
Use the small size paper clips
Idea - test iron kit of cereal: add milk to cereal - blend
put magnet on side of blender - see iron
Activity - place sheet of paper over bar graph - draw a simple
model of earth - sprinkle iron filings to form and demonstrate
magnetic fields of earth
Use the boxes upside so that the lid serves as the bottom or
use a thinner box so magnets can easily be detected.
Lesson 4: Measuring magnets
Make tables to classify magnetic and nonmagnetic items
Iron filings put in cooking oil on overhead projector to outline
magnetic fields
Paper clips rather than washers
Explore with the number of batteries (+ & -)
When preparing paperclip flatten the end that goes underneath
the magnet
Store magnets away from compasses
Lesson 5: Building a compass
Make compass together as a class
Check drawings on Proficiency Test to be sure we are using the
same symbol
Shorten straw by 10 cm
Must align compass needle with wire to work
Lesson 6: Using a compass: Which way is which?
Lesson 5: step 2 is very important
Lesson 5-7: Set up together with the class, make sure batteries
are good before class
Lesson 7: Creating magnetism through electricity
Lesson 8: Making magnets with electricity
Lesson 7 ? explore with the number of batteries used. Make
sure bases and batteries work
Teacher should pre cut enamel copper wire, pre hook the wire
to alligator clip, demonstrate the steps illustrated on page
47-49 and have students work with you
Lesson 8--Put magnet between outer edges of the coil, use more
than one magnet on inside and outside of coil to show magnetic
field at any given point
Lesson 9: Designing an experiment to test the strength of
an electromagnet
Activity worksheet 4 from les.9 needs a section to record
results, draw conclusions, and add drawings or graphs
Place carpet under cups so as to not slip
Test dry cells by using a light bulb
Test different gauges of wire (has little affect but children
should test this)
Washers or paper clips can be used
Explain push and pull of magnets
Lesson 10: Testing an electromagnet
Lesson 11: Showing others what you have learned
Ice cubes float in water, sink in alcohol
Fresh egg sinks in water, 'old' egg floats in water
Students should start the experiment with water tubs on the floor
Lesson 12: Making a motor
Lesson 13: Building a spinning coil motor
- Lesson pg 125: Precut and bag parts before class, don't use
the battery to wrap the enamel wire...its too big, the coil should
be balanced in order to spin best
Art lesson: Making a model of a motor
Recommended book: Teaching Physics with Toys
Use a smaller coil in lesson 13 ~ about the diameter of a nickel
Use red and white wire in lesson 15
When building wire coils use a glue stick or marker instead of
the battery
-
Lesson 14: What is inside an electric motor
Lesson 15: How does a motor work?
Lesson 16: Generating electricity
|
