1.

0 INTRODUCTION

Science is the process and product of man who possesses an inquisitive

attitude that seeks to describe and explain the natural world and artificial

world by way of testing. Experiments and hands-on activities related to

science inquiry are important in a science because it give more participation

on getting the concepts, fact, principle, law and theory by experience it on its

own. Science inquiry is organized knowledge especially when obtained by

observation and testing of facts, about the physical world, natural laws and

society from a source which can get information and investigation.

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2.0 HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIMENT

2.1 Experiment: What Sticks to a Magnet?

2.2 Teacher Information:

2.2.1 Magnets will stick only to items which have iron, cobalt or

nickel in them. But cobalt and nickel are rarely used in

common metal items; therefore, most objects which stick to

magnets contain iron.

2.3 Overview:

2.3.1 Students will test various materials to tell what can be picked

up by magnet.

2.4 Materials:

2.4.1 bar magnets

2.4.2 assorted small objects of wood, paper, glass, nail, coins

2.5 Lesson Preparation:

2.5.1 Divide the materials into eight containers, each holding sample

of the same materials.

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2.6 Activity:

2.6.1 Ask students where they have seen magnets used. Let them

share these ideas in small groups.

2.6.2 Ask what they know about magnets, listing ideas on the board.

2.6.3 Divide students onto eight groups an d provide them with the

containers of materials.

2.6.4 Have students divide the objects into three piles. One pile

should be items which they think will stick to a magnet, a

second pile is for those which they think will not. And the third

pile is for items which they are not sure about.

2.6.5 After students divide all items into three piles, ask them to tell

how they decided which would stick to a magnet.

2.6.6 List the items on the board under three headings—Yes, No, and

?. There will be some disagreement among the groups. List

those items in question under more than one heading.

2.6.7 Distribute a magnet to each student to check the objects,

placing them in new piles.

2.6.8 Discuss what they discover and change the objects on the board

to classify them correctly.

2.6.9 Ask students if all metal objects stick to magnets.

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2.7 Closure

2.7.1 Lets the students move around the classroom to test as many

objects as they can to see if they will stick to their magnets.

2.7.2 The students to find three places in their homes where magnets

are in use.

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3.0 JEAN PIAGET’S THEORY APPLIED

3.1 This experiment provides the students with physical knowledge when

they do the experiment they are actually interacting with the physical

environment and they learnt through observation to the materials

given.

3.2 Logicomathematical knowledge is applied when the students use their

basics knowledge to classify the items into categories. In this case the

students have to classify the items into magnetic materials or not. The

students form associations between objects in their mind, means the

students associate the items based on their knowledge about the items

whether the items can be stick to the magnet or not.

3.3 While they are doing this experiments in groups they are actually earn

the social knowledge by interacting of an individual with another

through discussion in group of eight.

3.4 Assimilation is the cognitive process of integrating experience or new

information (external knowledge) into existing schema (internal

knowledge). The students gain new experience by doing the

experiments. The experiences will become their internal knowledge.

As a result from the increase of experience the schema expands in size

and complexity but does not change its basic structure. For example

they already knew about metal, wood glass and more materials. And

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 new information is magnet does attract objects but only iron, nickel

and cobalt. When they integrate their existing knowledge it’s become

new schemata.

3.5 Accommodation happened when the students have to face a new

concept or experience and they will try to assimilate it into existing

schema. If this new concept or experience is not compatible with the

existing schema, the students will form a new schema or the existing

schema will be modified. For example the students have to face the

new concepts only iron, nickel and cobalt attract to magnet and not the

wood, glass and plastics.

3.6 This experiment suitable for children in age seven to eleven years.

Base on the Piaget’s Theory the children around this age able to

classify objects well. So this theory has been applied in this

experiment. They also have the ability to think in hypothetical ‘if-then’

situation. If they see wood then they know it is not magnetic object. At

this stage the children interact well with concrete objects and able to

use more than one trait at a time and they are able to understand

conservation of all properties.

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4.0 CONCLUSION

4.1 The learning in science should base on hands-on activities that use

concrete resource materials. Through hands-on activities, children

construct knowledge in their minds, a process that is named minds-on.

4.2 The teacher acts as a facilitator who prepares the environment so that

students increase their physical knowledge and logicomathematical

knowledge.

4.3 The hands-on that are carried out should be compatible with the

cognitive developmental stage of the students so that they can

understand and adapt the concepts learnt into their schemata.

4.4 For exercising of the mental operation the student can be taught by

arranging according to a sequence, classification and conservation.

4.5 Through the thinking activities the children understanding of the

universe can grow.