© 2012 Alston Publishing House Pte Ltd Science SMART Teacher’s Guide Grade 4 Chapter 6 Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans
Chapter 6: Magnets
Total number of periods: 18 periods
Overview of Lesson Plans
What Is a Magnet? (4 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods6.1 / Pupils should:
- know what a magnet is
- be able to differentiate magnetic and non-magnetic materials
- know that there are different types of magnets / Collect evidence in a variety of contexts. (Ep1)
Make relevant observations and comparisons in a variety of contexts. (Eo1) / Organising
Analysing
Observing
Classifying
Communicating
Inferring / Use systems thinking
Solve problems / 4
What Are the Properties of Magnets? (8 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods6.2 / Pupils should:
- understand the properties of magnets / Test an idea or prediction based on scientific knowledge and understanding. (Ep2)
Identify simple trends and patterns in results and suggest explanations for some of these. (Eo5) / Organising
Analysing
Observing
Inferring
Predicting
Communicating / Be self-directed learners
Solve problems
Use systems thinking
Communicate clearly
Collaborate with others / 8
How Are Magnets Made? (4 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods6.3 / Pupils should:
- know some ways in which magnets can be made / Test an idea or prediction based on scientific knowledge and understanding. (Ep2)
Identify simple trends and patterns in results and suggest explanations for some of these. (Eo5)
Link evidence to scientific knowledge and understanding in some contexts. (Eo7) / Observing
Comparing
Analysing
Inferring / Solve problems / 4
What Are the Uses of Magnets? (2 periods)
Lesson / Specific Instructional Objectives / Cambridge Primary Scientific Enquiry Skills / Process Skills / 21st Century Skills / Number of Periods6.4 / Pupils should:
- be able to list the objects that use magnets / Collect evidence in a variety of contexts. (Ep1)
Link evidence to scientific knowledge and understanding in some contexts. (Eo7) / Observing
Classifying
Communicating
Analysing / Communicate clearly
Apply technology effectively
Environmental literacy / 2
Main Lesson Plans
Lesson 6.1
BSCS 5E / Lesson Notes / ResourcesEngage:
An activity is used to create interest in new topic
Explain: Explanation is given to avoid misconception
Evaluate: Pupils are given opportunity to observe the new idea and check their own understanding
Elaborate:
Pupils apply new knowledge to infer the answers / Background: Magnets are objects that exert a force that pulls magnetic materials such as iron and steel towards them. Magnets have many special properties. For example, magnets may attract or repel each other depending on how they are oriented. They will always point in a North-South direction if freely suspended. These properties make magnets useful for a wide range of applications. Pupils will learn about the properties and uses of magnets in this chapter.
You may refer to the website provided for a brief introduction of the whole topic.
Chapter opener
Background: Conventional trains are usually diesel or electric locomotives, but for Maglev trains, their motive power comes from the attraction and repulsion force of electromagnets.
Activity: Show a video to introduce Maglev trains and their technology to pupils.
Ask pupils:
· How does the Maglev train float and move? (Answer: Powerful electromagnets are used to lift up the train. Then the train is propelled by waves of magnetic energy.)
· What is the advantage of Maglev trains over conventional trains? (Answer: Because there is no physical contact between the train and the track, this eliminates the friction that slows down conventional trains.)
Explain that:
· Magnets have different properties. They can be used for many purposes, such as lifting and propelling a train.
Teaching Strategy: Relating to real life
Process Skills: Organising, Analysing
21st Century Skill: Use systems thinking
What’s In This Chapter?, What Will I Learn?
Emphasise to pupils what their learning journey will be like for this chapter.
· Some materials are magnetic and some are non-magnetic.
· Magnets have different properties.
· These properties make magnets useful for many different applications.
· Magnets can be made by different methods.
Teaching Tip: Trace the path of the mind map by reading out loud.
What Is a Magnet?
Background: Grade 3 Chapter 5 has introduced that different materials have different properties. Some materials can be attracted by magnets. They are magnetic materials. Materials that cannot be attracted by magnets are non-magnetic materials.
Common Misconception: Not all metals are attracted to magnets, for example, aluminium, copper, lead, zinc and gold are non-magnetic.
Activities:
1. Watch the video at the website provided. Ask pupils what they think the ‘hairs’ are and why they think the ‘hairs’ seem to be able to move by themselves. The ‘hairs’ are actually iron filings. They move about because they are magnetic materials attracted by a magnet.
2. Carry out Build Your Skills! with the class to find out what the magnetic and non-magnetic materials around us are. Give each pupil a magnet and ask pupils to test for magnetic objects around the school. They should identify the material(s) that each object is made of. After the test, have pupils write their observations on a big piece of paper to make a list of magnetic and non-magnetic materials in school.
Process Skills: Observing, Classifying, Communicating
Common Misconception: Most man-made magnets are not made from natural magnets because they are too weak. The magnets we use in everyday life are usually made of a mix of iron, steel and other substances.
Teaching Tip: Show pupils a video on how a magnet is made from its raw materials. Tell pupils that they will learn more details in a later lesson.
Activity: Bring magnets of different shapes and sizes to the class to explain the variety of magnets. Ask pupils to discuss why there are many different magnets and what their uses are respectively.
Process Skills: Analysing, Inferring
21st Century Skill: Solve problems / URL 6.1
Textbook page 93
URL 6.2
Textbook page 94
Textbook pages 95—96
URL 6.3
Workbook page 77
Activity 1: Try Attracting Me!
URL 6.4
Consolidation Worksheet 1
Internet links for Lesson 6.1
URL 6.1: Introduction of magnets
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_processes/magnets/read1.shtml
URL 6.2: Maglev trains
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29341-extreme-engineering-maglev-train-video.htm
URL 6.3: Magnets making iron filings move (corresponds with Internet Link 6.1 in Textbook)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMNbpHnzC7U
URL 6.4: How a magnet is made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRux43wwunU
Lesson 6.2
Engage: Demonstration is used to assist teaching
Explore:
Pupils learn more on the new topic through research
Elaborate:
Pupils develop a clearer understanding through an activity
Explain: Pupils answer questions to demonstrate their understanding
Evaluate:
Pupils evaluate their own progress through the activity / What Are the Properties of Magnets?
Teaching Tip: Prepare magnets for this lesson to demonstrate the different properties of magnets to pupils.
Teaching Strategy: Show-and-tell
Like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
Common Misconception: Pupils should not confuse North and South poles in a magnet with the geographic North and South Pole. They are not the same thing. A magnetic pole is the end of a magnet, while the geographic pole is a place where the Earth’s rotation axis meets its surface.
Teaching Tip: Bar magnets should be used to demonstrate this property because they have distinct North and South poles at their ends. Some magnets such as fridge magnets are made with North and South poles on the same surface, which makes it difficult to show how the magnets attract and repel each other.
Project Idea: The attraction and repulsion property of magnets is widely used in many fields. The Maglev train introduced in the chapter opener also makes use of this property to float. Get pupils to do an Internet search to find out more applications of this property.
Process Skill: Organising
21st Century Skill: Be self-directed learners
A magnet, when suspended freely, will always point in a North-South direction.
Background: Earth is actually a giant magnet. It has two magnetic poles (not the geographic poles) too. A conventional magnet will always point in a North-South direction because there is attraction between the magnetic poles of the Earth and the poles of the magnet.
Activity: Bring a compass to class. Ask pupils:
· What is a compass used for? (Answer: It tells us the direction.)
· Where does the needle of the compass point to? (Answer: One end of the needle will always point to the North.)
· Why does it always point in a North-South direction? (Answer: This is because the needle is a magnet.)
Ask pupils to discuss a way to prove the needle in a compass is a magnet. One possible way is to place a bar magnet near to the compass and see whether the needle shows any sign of attraction and repulsion. Or they can take the needle out from the compass and test whether it can attract magnetic materials.
Process Skill: Analysing
21st Century Skill: Solve problems
A magnet is strongest at its poles.
Activity: Carry out Experiment Time! to find out which part or parts of a magnet are the strongest. The bar magnet used for the experiment should be as long as possible so that the results would be more distinctive and obvious. Before carrying out the experiment, you can first ask pupils:
· What should be done to ensure the test is fair? (Answer: The area of parts A, B and C should be the same. Iron filings should be poured out equally across the magnet.)
Pupils should be able to conclude that the poles are the strongest parts of a magnet. You can bring up a question for pupils to discuss here:
· Why is it common to manufacture a magnet in a U-shape? (Answer: A U-shaped magnet can bring the two poles of a magnet, which are the strongest parts of a magnet, to the same side. In this way, the magnetic strength of the magnet can be enhanced.)
Process Skills: Observing, Inferring
21st Century Skill: Use systems thinking
A magnet can exert a magnetic force from a distance.
Background: Each magnet has a different strength of magnetic force. A stronger magnet can attract a magnetic material from a greater distance.
Common Misconception: The strength of a magnet’s magnetic force has no relation to its size and length. This means a bigger magnet may not necessarily be able to attract magnetic materials from a greater distance as compared to a smaller magnet.
Activity: Carry out Experiment Time! to find out if a magnet can exert a magnetic force from a distance. You can repeat the experiment with different magnets. Ask pupils:
· Do all the magnets attract the paper clip from the same distance? (Answer: No, some can attract the paper clip from a greater distance while some need to be closer in order to attract it.)
· What can you conclude from this further test? (Answer: Different magnets have different strengths of magnetic force.)
Process Skills: Observing, Inferring, Predicting
21st Century Skill: Solve problems
Magnetism can pass through non-magnetic materials.
Activity: Conduct a test to find out if magnetism can pass through non-magnetic materials. Prepare a magnet, a metal paper clip and a pile of paper for the test. Ask pupils to place the paper clip on top of one piece of paper. Place the magnet under the paper where the paper clip is resting. Move the magnet around and ask pupils to describe what happens. This shows that magnetism can pass through non-magnetic materials. Repeat the test with more pieces of paper until the paper clip cannot be attracted to the magnet. Ask pupils:
· What can you conclude from the test? (Answer: Magnetism can be affected by the thickness of the material between the magnet and magnetic object.)
Process Skills: Observing, Inferring
21st Century Skill: Use systems thinking
Activities:
1. Play an interactive game to learn more about the properties of magnets.
2. Pupils have learnt many properties of magnets. Have them summarise what they have learnt by making a poster introducing a magnet’s properties. Divide pupils into groups. Each group is responsible for one of the properties. They have to present the property only by drawing or using limited words. Join the pupils’ drawing or short description of the properties together to form a poster.
Process Skill: Organising, Communicating
21st Century Skills: Communicate clearly; Collaborate with others / Textbook page 98
Textbook page 99
Textbook page 100
Workbook page 79
Activity 2: My Home-made Compass
Textbook page 101
Workbook page 81
Activity 3: Which Is My Strongest Part?
Textbook page 102
Textbook pages 103–104
Workbook page 83
Activity 4: Paper Clip Magic
URL 6.5
Consolidation Worksheet 2
Internet link for Lesson 6.2
URL 6.5: Magnets and springs (corresponds with Internet Link 6.2 in Textbook)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/magnets_springs.shtml
Lesson 6.3
BSCS 5E / Lesson Notes / ResourcesEngage: Engage pupils in learning through the activity
Explore: Pupils experience the new idea in the experiment
Elaborate: Pupils learn the application of the new idea
Evaluate: Exercise is used to check pupils’ understanding
Explain: New concept is explained through a video / How Are Magnets Made?
Background: Three ways of making magnets will be introduced in this lesson. They are the ‘Touch’ method, ‘Stroke’ method and electrical method. Remind pupils that the following methods can make temporary magnets only. Except for electromagnets, the common magnets we use are not made by these methods. They require more complex manufacturing processes.
‘Touch’ method
Background: A magnetic object can become a temporary magnet when it is in contact with the pole of a magnet. The strength of the temporary magnet is determined by the strength of the magnet. When the magnetic object leaves the magnet, it will lose its magnetism.
Activity: Have pupils use the ‘Touch’ method to make a temporary magnet as shown in the Textbook. See who can make the strongest iron nail magnet.
Process Skill: Observing
‘Stroke’ method
Background: The ‘Stroke’ method can be used to magnetise a magnetic material. The magnetic material being magnetised has to be stroked with a strong bar magnet in the same direction many times. The temporary magnet can hold its magnetism for a while. Its strength can be changed by using bar magnets of different strengths and changing the number of strokes.
Activity: Carry out Experiment Time! to make a temporary magnet using the ‘Stroke’ method. Pupils should keep in mind that they should keep stroking the iron nail in the same direction, but not stroke back and forth over it. Always stroke the nail with the same pole of the magnet. If pupils fail to magnetise the iron nail, they should use a stronger magnet for stroking instead or increase the number of times and speed of stroking. The nail should be able to attract the paper clips if it is successfully magnetised.
The magnetised iron nail has the same properties as a common magnet. The poles of the nail are determined by the pole of bar magnet used to stroke the nail and the stroking direction. Ask pupils to find out what the poles at the two ends of the nail are using a bar magnet.
Process Skills: Observing, Comparing, Analysing
21st Century Skill: Solve problems
Electrical method
Background: A magnetic material can be made into a temporary magnet by passing electricity through the material. Its magnetism will be maintained until the electricity is cut off. The strength of the electromagnet depends on the amount of electricity passing through the wire and the number of coils wrapped around the material.
Activity: See how permanent magnets are made in the factories at the website provided.
Teaching Tip: As introduced in Amazing Facts!, electromagnets are useful in lifting magnetic materials from a mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic materials. Show pupils video on how an electromagnet is used in a scrapyard.
Teaching Strategy: Relating to real life
Activity: Visit the website provided with pupils and finish the Build Your Skills! Recap with pupils the two factors affecting the strength of an electromagnet.
Process Skills: Observing, Inferring
Pupils will learn more about how batteries work in Grade 5 Chapter 4: Electricity.
Background: The loss of magnetism of a magnet is called demagnetisation. Several conditions can cause demagnetisation, such as heating and mechanical shock to the magnet.
Teaching Tip: Show pupils a video that introduces methods of demagnetisation. / Textbook page 105
Textbook page 106
Textbook page 107
URL 6.6
URL 6.7
Textbook page 108
URL 6.8
URL 6.9
Consolidation Worksheet 3
Internet links for Lesson 6.3