Magnets Level: 1st Grade Time Frame: Approximately 1 Quarter  Description: Students will learn the effects of magnets through observation and exploration.

Overview Activity List Learning Objectives Standards Resources Science Dept. Home Page Kindergarten Science Units

Unit Overview
Young children are fascinated by magnets and a magnets unit is therefore often included in the early elementary science curriculum. At this level of development, learning about magnets is almost entirely experiential, that is, the learning objectives are based on the things that children can readily experience in using magnets.

Early elementary children can only understand the following to a very limited degree, if at all: how magnets work, how the earth works as a magnet, and how magnets are used in electronic devices and other applications. These can be introduced, but spending much time on these concepts in first grade is unlikely to be beneficial. Therefore, this unit is rather short, and it is focused on the effects of magnets that can be readily seen and felt.

Learning Objectives

Students will observe and know that:

• Magnets can make some things move (push or pull things).

• Magnets attract (pull on) some things, but not others.

• Magnets vary in strength.

• Magnets can have different shapes.

• Magnets can pull through some things.

• Magnets are strongest at each end (for magnets that have ends).

• Each end of a magnet acts differently.

Students will practice:

• Describing observed events.

• Collecting data for investigations.

• Recording data.

• Arranging data into logical patterns and describing patterns.

• Comparing observations of individual and group results.

Standards

Illinois State Standards - Early Elementary

Students will observe and know that:

12D. Know and apply concepts that describe force and motion and the principles that explain them

• Identify observable forces in nature (e.g. magnets)

11A. Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of scientific inquiry

• Describe an observed event.
• Develop questions on scientific topics.
• Collect and record data for investigations.
• Arrange data into logical patterns and describe the patterns.
• Compare observations of individual and group results.

National Science Education Standards: Fundamental Concepts and Principles- As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of fundamental concepts and principles:

• Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of other materials.

Resources

Champaign Community Unit School District #4 * Mellon Administrative Center
703 South New Street * Champaign, IL 61820 * 217.351.3800