MAGNETS

Alumna: Sandra Moreno Díez

Presentation of the material: previous knowledge and initiation to hypothesis formulation

In class, item is introduced to children, showing them a magnet and asking them if they know what this is and its use. From there, we have to explain children that magnets can attract other magnets and metallic objects. We can reveal them that the Earth and the Sun can be like enormous magnets, because its have a magnetic field.  This may draw their attention, because these are concepts that children know. To confirm that children have understand this, we can make questions like “what magnets do?”, “there are more things that act like a magnet?”

When we are sure about children have understand the concepts and the use of magnets, we announce that we are going to do several funny games with them and we are going to explain it while they are doing the activities.

Free-guided activity

The first game consist in realize a free activity. Children can experiment with the magnets, see them nearly and touch them. Furthermore, they can attract things or separate other magnets. This activity will have duration of 5 minutes. When the activity finalize, we do other assembly to formulate questions for come to hypothesis: “what do you think that will happen when we approach the magnet to the pencil?”, “and to the blackboard?”… Children will answer freely with their own conclusions.

Guided activities.

When children know the use of the magnets, we pass to the guided activities:

That yes/that not!

Children have to check, from their hypothesis, which objects in the classroom act with magnets and which not. We can choose a day in which children could go out to the playground to check their hypothesis with trees, metal windows…. This activity will have a duration of 5 minutes, 10 minutes if we realize the activity in the exterior too.

Racing!

We have to explain to children that we are going to do a funny activity. We have to make 4 groups with an equal number of children. When teacher says “Let´s go!”, a child of each group have to run for bring something that can be attract with the magnets. When the child brings the object, the next child of each group has to do the same. When all children have finished, we check which objects can be attracted and which not, asking before to children for they do their own hypothesis. The duration of this activity is estimated in 15 minutes (racing and assembly).

We are magnets!

To finalize, we are going to do an activity in which children have to walk freely in the class (it is possible, in the background). When teacher says “opposite poles!”, all the children have to unite in a point that teacher have marked. Children have to walk together until teacher say “equal poles!”. Before realize the activity, with two magnets teacher have to show to children that opposite poles attract and equal poles apart themselves. This activity has a duration of 5 minutes.

Conclusions.

When activities have finished, we realized a final assembly in which children, helped by the teacher, have to collect all that they have learn about the magnets, and how to explain their hits and fails.

Collective collection.

When children finalize each activity have to clean the space used for the activity, helped by the teacher.