STEM 434/534 Lesson Planning Template Spring 2021

(Complete answers in Purple font)

Name: Kearsten Rice Grade: 2nd Topic: Magnetism

Brief Lesson Description:

In this lesson students will be learning about magnetism and about the different types of materials that are magnetic. A
student will be working with magnets to determine if an object is magnetic or nonmagnetic, and properties those
objects possess that make them that way.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

● Students will be able to identify materials that have magnetic properties.
● Students will recognize that magnets come in different shapes, sizes, and strengths.

How did this lesson develop as a result of your examination of research and data about employing culturally
sustaining pedagogical strategies? (Think equal opportunity, student interests, race, gender, disabilities etc.)
● I picked this specific SOL because I didn’t see anyone picking standards that included magnetism and
magnetic materials. Something that I have noticed so far is that people try to avoid subjects that they think
may be harder to teach younger students. I wanted to dive head first into something that I myself knew very
little about, and wanted to ensure that our younger students would have the opportunity to test their strengths
in new ways.

Narrative / Background Information

Prior Student Knowledge:

● The student should have a brief understanding on the fact magnets attract certain objects.
● The student should also have a brief understanding about forces like push and pull and friction.

Science VA SOL Health VA SOL NGSS (You may have to look to a

● VA SOL 2.2 The student will
investigate and understand
that natural and artificial
magnets have certain
characteristics and attract
specific types of metals. Key
concepts include…
- a.) magnetism, iron,
magnetic/non
magnetic,poles,
attract/repel
● 5.2 The student will different grade level for the
demonstrate responsibility connection)
for developing personal ● 2-PS1-2. Analyze data
health habits and practicing obtained from testing
behaviors that promote an different materials.
active, healthy lifestyle.
- k.) Examine one’s
role and the role of
others in causing or
preventing injuries
at school.

Science & Engineering Practices: (You must tie engineering practices into your plan)
● The students will ask questions.
● The students will complete observations that support a theory.
● The student will conduct an experiment to demonstrate understanding.

Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:
● The students might have misconceptions on the types of materials that magnets attract.
● The students might have the misconception that all magnets are made of iron.
● The student might have the preconception that ALL metals are magnetic.

LESSON PLAN – 5-E Model

ENGAGE: Opening Activity – Access Prior Learning / Stimulate Interest / Generate Questions: (Discrepant
events are awesome to use here)

Day 1

Discrepant Event: Magnets for Breakfast

Materials:
● Water
● A bowl (preferably clear)
● Iron rich cereal (cheerios, cornflakes, etc.)
● Magnets
● Observation sheet - inside of their science journals

Steps:
1.) The teacher will start by asking questions like..
- What do you know about magnets?
- What do you think we are doing with the cereal?
2.) The teacher will take a large post-it or poster, and create a KWL chart that will be answered in a class
discussion.
3.) After completing the chart the teacher will have the students identify the main materials of the event (the
magnets and the cereal). The teacher will pass the cereal boxes around and have the students look for the
iron content on the side of the box.
4.) After the teacher gets the box of cereal back, they should announce the iron content to the class, and have
them get prepared with their observation charts/sheets.
5.) Before the teacher places the cereal in the bowl of water, the teacher should ask the students…
- What do you think will happen?
- Do you think that the magnet will react to the cereal? Will the magnet react at all?
- What happens when we place a magnet over a cereal like this?
6.) The teacher should then place the cereal in the bowl of water, and have their students write down everything
they are about to observe. The teacher will hover the magnet over the cereal, and the teacher should ask
questions like…
- What is happening to the cereal?
- What is the magnet doing to the cereal?
- Do we have any guesses why this reaction is happening?
7.) Once the experiment is complete the students should have written down some of the things that they
observed. The teacher should follow up with questions like…
- Did what you think would happen to the cereal happen to the cereal?
- What can you tell me about the cereal that may have caused this reaction?
- Why do you think that the magnet did that to the cereal?
8.) The students will then discuss within their groups before sharing with the whole group.
EXPLORE: Lesson Description – Materials Needed / Probing or Clarifying Questions:

Day 2

Activity : Magnet fishing

Materials:
● A shoe box (decorated like a pond or lake is optional)
● Magnets
● String or fishing line
● Magnetic items: key, spoon, paperclip, screws, etc.
● Non Magnetic items: rocks, buttons, dice, pencils, etc.
● Cards labeled non magnetic and magnetic
● Magnet fishing lab sheet - inside of their science journals

1.) The students will be reminded of the discrepant event that was conducted in the class the day before. This is
where the teacher should ask them what they remember about the event, and what they learned from that
event.
2.) The students will be given their materials and asked questions like…
- What do you have in front of your group?
- What do you think we’re going to be doing with these materials?
3.) The teacher should explain that the students will be working in groups to figure out which of these objects are
magnetic and which ones are not magnetic.
4.) Before the students get started with the activity the teacher will facilitate a discussion about lab safety
(relating back to attached health standard VA SOL 5.2 k). The Students will discuss their role in keeping
themselves and their classmates safe during an experiment.
5.) The students should then be given the lab sheet where they have to document which objects are magnetic
and which ones aren’t. The students should discuss with their group why they think these objects are/aren’t
magnetic and document that.
 6.) The students will complete this lab sheet with their group mates.
7.) The teacher should be walking around the entire time that the students are completing this activity asking
engaging questions like…
- What objects were you able to pick up with the magnet so far? Why do you think that the magnet
picked that item up?
- Can you think of any other objects that can be picked up by a magnet that are in this classroom?
- What kind of objects would not get picked up by this magnet?

8.) Once the lab sheet is completed the students should discuss in their groups about the types of objects that
get picked up by a magnet.

EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:

Day 3

Read Aloud: What Makes a Magnet? By Franklyn M. Branley

1. After going over everything that the students learned the day before in their observations, the students will be
introduced to the book What Makes a Magnet? By Franklyn M. Branley. The teacher should ask things like..
- What do you think this book is about?
- What do you think you will learn from this book?
2. The teacher will then play this video, which is a read aloud of this book, while giving students the option to
look at the physical copy of the book.
 3. The teacher will then refer back to the KWL chart that was created and add to the chart by asking the
students questions like…
- What did you learn from this book? Did you learn something new from this book?
- What else do we know about magnets that we may not have known before?
4. The teacher will then show the students this powerpoint, recapping many of the conceptions that they learned
about magnetic forces, the north and south poles, and what makes materials magnetic.
5. After completing the read aloud and introducing the powerpoint with additional information, this is where the
teacher should address any of the misconceptions that the students may have had by guiding them through a
discussion.
6. The students will complete an end of the week recap in the same science journal where all of their other
worksheets have been attached. In this science recap the student will answer the following question…
1.) What is one thing you can tell me about magnets?
2.) How do we know if something is magnetic? What types of materials do magnets attract?
3.) List one new thing you learned in today's lesson.

Vocabulary:
● Magnet
● North & South Pole
● Ferromagnetic

ELABORATE: Applications and Extensions:

Day 4

Activity: Home full of magnets

1.) With a parent or guardian, the student will use a magnet at home to determine if an object at home is
magnetic or non magnetic.
2.) The student will be asked to record their data in their science journal, and will be asked to explain their
findings to the class.
3.) The students will create a hypothesis, based on items that they think will attract a magnet at home, and will
have to explain if their hypothesis was true or not and why.
4.) A detailed instruction list will be sent home in a newsletter to all of the parents and guardians. After the
student has finished telling the class about their finding they will be required to complete a written self
reflection that will also be in their science journal.
(working on a self reflection sheet that I will create for the students)
EVALUATE:
Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion): The students will be formatively assessed through their
participation in all of the activities and observations. The students should complete an observation sheet, as well as
participate in all of their discussions in the first four phases of the 5E model.

Summative Assessment (Quiz / Project / Report) (Include a rubric): The students will be summatively assessed
through a presentation. In this presentation the students will be presenting as a material with magnetic properties, and
will discuss their understanding of the process of magnetism. Each student will be given a rubric for self assessment
and will be assessed by the teacher with a separate but similar rubric.

Plan for differentiation: (Be sure to specifically address the following learners)

● Students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, mild learning disorders) - These
students will have one on one time in small groups with the teacher when completing their science journals.
● ELL - For all parts of the 5E model the ELL students will be paired with another student in the class for the
activities. I will also provide the vocabulary attached to this lesson in a vocabulary guide in both their native
language and english.
● Gifted learners - When it comes time for the small group instruction, I will have the gifted students try to ask
the groups the first question to start their discussion off.

Elaborate Further / Reflect: Enrichment:

● How will you evaluate your practice?

- The best way that I can evaluate my practice would be by taking notes and observing the way my
students engage in the activities and assignments. Just as my students have to complete
observation, I should be observing the strategies that they use to complete what I have given them. I
also think it would be a great idea to collaborate with another educator to see where they think I
could improve my lesson.
● Where might/did learners struggle in the lesson?
- I think that some of my learners will struggle with the concept that not all objects that are metal are
magnetic. I also think they may have a hard time remembering which objects are magnetic. The
main struggle that is faced when teaching about magnetism is trying to explain to students that the
force exerted by the magnet is one that they just can’t see.
● How can the lesson be strengthened for improved student learning?
- I think the lesson can be strengthened by adding in more real world examples. I would love to
include a science museum visit or even a guest speaker that can do demonstrations with magnets in
the classroom. There aren’t very many examples of magnets in the real world that are relatable to a
younger student, so I think including more relatable examples would help improve student learning.
● Did the lesson reflect culturally sustaining pedagogies? If not, how can this be enhanced?
- I would like to think that this lesson did reflect culturally sustaining pedagogies because it allowed
many hands-on activities as well as many opportunities for group collaborations. In all of my lessons
I hope that by having students collaborate that they have the opportunity to see multiple
perspectives to the same problems.