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Arizona STEM

Acceleration Project

Fabulous Electric & Magnetic Field Design

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Fabulous Electric & Magnetic Field Design

A 6th grade STEM lesson

Ana Ramirez

4/7/2023

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Notes for Teachers

This lesson takes place in a classroom for one or more hours.
Students may work in small groups of 2-4.
An emphasis on the target product (a functioning simple motor to test magnetic fields).
Creative solutions should be encouraged.
Facilitate student reflection on why and how we can’t see magnetism, but it’s everywhere around us―even the Earth is a giant magnet!

List of Materials:

AA battery

1 Pack Neodymium magnets

1 copper wire

wire cutters

journal

Magnets Push, Magnets Pull Picture Book (or video read-aloud)
Additional Resources: Awesome Explanation of Electricity and Magnetism

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Arizona Science Standards

Science Standards:

6.P2U1.4: Develop and use a model to predict how forces act on objects at a distance.

6.P4U2.5 Analyze how humans use technology to store (potential) and/or use (kinetic) energy.

Science and Engineering Practices

ask questions and define problems
develop and use models
plan and carry out investigations
analyze and interpret data
use mathematical and computational thinking
construct explanations and design solutions
engage in argument from evidence
obtain, evaluate and communicate information

Arizona ELA Standards

Standards

6.RI.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

6.W.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

6.SL.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Objectives:

Today we will explain how forces acting at a distance can be explained by electric & magnetic fields.

Today we will describe magnetic forces using details from a story.

Today we will collaborate and communicate effectively with our peers to complete an engineering design challenge.

Today students will be able to design and engineer a simple motor to check magnetic fields.

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Agenda (60 minutes)

What kinds of things are attracted by magnets?

How forces from electric and magnetic fields can be either attractive or repulsive?

How can magnets attract or repel each other without touching?

Magnets Push, Magnets Pull Book

Engineering a Simple Motor

Share or present

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What are Electric & Magnetic Fields?

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Electric & Magnetic Fields

Electricity and magnetism are two related phenomena produced by the electromagnetic force. Together, they form electromagnetism.

A magnetic field induces electric charge movement, producing an electric current.

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Read-Aloud

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Instructions

In a group of 2-4, engineer a simple motor.

Constraints:

AA Battery

1 Pack Neodymium Magnets

1 Copper Wire

Wire Cutters

15 minutes

Hands-On Activity: The premise of this activity is two-fold.

Students experience the design process of creating and recreating (iterating) a simple motor to show how forces acting at a distance can be explained by electric & magnetic fields.

Students experience an integrated STEAM lesson with combined content from Science (physics), Technology (motor), Engineering (making and assembling the simple motor) Arts (creative design), and Math (measuring).

The instructions in this activity are only a fraction of what is possible when working with simple motor kits.

Simple Motor Instructions

1. Stack the magnets on the negative side of the battery and place them on a desk. 2. Bend the copper wire into a circle shape. 3. Place the bottom of the circle shape on the positive end of the battery. 4. Adjust it so that the ends of the wire touch the magnets. 5. Watch it spinning in a wild way! The copper wire can be shaped into a square, triangle, or any other creative shape.

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Assessment

Test your simple motor:

Did the force on the wire cause the simple motor to move?
How does the strength of a magnet's force change when it gets bigger or closer to an object?
If yes, how much?
Were you able to try other shapes to make it spin?
If yes, what shapes?

ELA Assessment

How is your simple motor related to what we read in the book?

Describe the relationship between magnetism and electricity that you discovered in this activity.

Describe in detail how magnetism powers our world.

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Differentiation

One way to differentiate in this lesson is to provide some groups a template for their first motor design. This can help students who struggle with the “getting started” phase.

If the simple motor doesn’t spin students might need to flip the magnets on the bottom of the battery.

Another option is to provide a template with pictures of how magnets attract or repel.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students who are successful right away can plan how they would make the simple motor spin using the copper wire in different shapes.

Identify Magnetic Forces by slowly move the bar magnet near each of some objects (1 at a time). Observe and record if each object is attracted, repelled, or does nothing in a data table.