Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
Suggested Lesson
After an investigation where students observe magnets interacting with magnetic and non-magnetic objects, students write an opinion about why they think the magnets attract certain objects and not others.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Suggested Lesson
Students plan and create a story where they imagine themselves to be magnetized. Have them consider situations where they would be attracted or repelled by everyday objects.
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Suggested Lesson
Give each student or small group a question about magnetism and access to several sources. Have them locate an answer to the question and be prepared to share it with the class.
Generate two numerical patterns using two given rules. Identify apparent relationships between corresponding terms. Form ordered pairs consisting of corresponding terms from the two patterns, and graph the ordered pairs on a coordinate plane.
Suggested Lesson
Conduct the experiment How Strong Is Your Magnet? Students will record data and graph results. The x-axis (horizontal) is for the distance from the magnet (that is, the number of layers of tape beginning with zero); the y-axis (vertical) is for the strength of the magnet (number of paper clips it can hold).
Summarize numerical data sets, such as by giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability.
Suggested Lesson
Follow the directions for Making An Electromagnet. To increase the strength of the electromagnet, increase the number of wire coils around the nail and record the number of paper clips you can pick up. Each pair of students will keep a table of the number of coils and number of paperclips. Then collect and average student findings to create a class chart.
Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
Supporting Content
Magnetic forces between a pair of objects do not require that the objects be in contact. Examples of magnetic force could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an electromagnet and steel paper clips, and the force exerted by one magnet versus the strength exerted by two magnets. Examples of cause and effect relationships could include how the properties of the objects and the distance between objects affect strength of the force, and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force.
Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
Supporting Content
Energy can be transferred from place to place by electric currents, produced by transforming the energy of motion into electrical energy. Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a design solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria.)
Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
Supporting Content
Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means.
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
Supporting Content
Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Each substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties that can be sued to identify it.
Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
Supporting Content
Electric and magnetic (electromagnetic) forces can be attractive or repulsive, and their sizes depend on the magnitudes of the charges or magnetic strengths involved and on the distances between the interacting objects. Examples of devices that use electric and magnetic forces could include electromagnets or electric motors. Examples of data could include the effect of the number of turns of wire on the strength of an electromagnet, or the effect of increasing the number or strength of magnets on the speed of an electric motor.
Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Supporting Content
Examples of this phenomenon could include the interactions of magnets. Forces that act at a distance (magnetic) can be explained by fields that extend through space and can be mapped by their effect on a test object Examples of interactions could include first-hand experiences or simulations.
Analyze and interpret data to determine properties of objects in the solar system.
Supporting Content
Emphasis is on the analysis of data from Earth-based instruments, space-based telescopes, and spacecraft to determine similarities and differences among solar system objects.