Fourth grade students in Claire Eckert and Katrina Smith’s class at Cottage Lane Elementary School are exploring the properties of magnets as part of their Energy Unit!
Working together, students sorted through materials – ranging from foil, to paper clips, to yarn, to rocks – recording their observations. The fourth grade scientists predict, test and draw conclusions as they practice the scientific method in order to develop a hypothesis based on their discoveries.
“From this hands-on exploration activity, students learn to use content-specific language and apply it in context which is so valuable to their understanding,” said Eckert. “Developing their own hypotheses through using these materials allows students to make connections about what they’ve learned.”
Throughout this unit, fourth-graders learn about the energy of magnets and electricity – analyzing patterns, cause and effect, and energy transfer. Students work to build a simple electrical circuit and test materials that attract and conduct both electric and magnetic energy.
