Electricity and Magnetism

 

Physical Sciences: Electricity and Magnetism

Learning Strand: Physical Sciences: Electricity and Magnetism

Learning Standards: Students will
  • identify the basic forms of energy (light, sound, heat, electrical, and magnetic). Recognize that energy is the ability to cause motion or create change
  • give examples of how energy can be transferred from one form to another.
  • recognize that electricity in circuits requires a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass, and that electricity can produce light, heat, and sound.
  • identify and classify objects and materials that conduct electricity and objects and materials that are insulators of electricity.
  • explain how electromagnets can be made, and give examples of how they can be used.
  • recognize that magnets have poles that repel and attract each other.
  • identify and classify objects and materials that a magnet will attract and objects and materials that a magnet will not attract.

What is Static Electricity? - explore static electricity and how it relates to atoms and electrical charges.

Snacks about Electricity - experiments on electricity and magnetism from the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Electricity and Magnetism - a series of experiments about electricity and magnetism that was designed for use in the fourth grade.

Electricity Fun Page - Learn some of the basic principles of electricity and magnetism. Have fun building and experimenting with these projects.

Magnet Man - This web site offers a number of different experiments students can try. It also offers an explanation of some of the key concepts.

Background Information for Magnets - Offers an explanation and history of magnets.

Lessons on Electricity for Teachers- This website offers a series of lessons plans on a variety of electricity related topics. The lessons plans use experiments to help students build a conceptual framework.

Electricity and Magnetism - An article which offers some basic information about electricity and magnetism with some suggestions for quick experiments. More a resource for the teacher than the student.

Welcome to Electricity - An introduction to basic concepts relating to electricity.

Magnetism and Electricity, a Fourth Grade Physical Science Unit - View the unit on electricity and magnetism from the Palo Alto Unified School District.

Magnet Education for Kids - A child friendly site about magnets.

Magnets - A teacher's resource about magnets from the Utah Dept. of Education. This site includes background information, experiments and more.

Other links to online lesson plans for teachers on magnetism and electricity - This website provides an extensive list of on-line lesson plans on the topics of electricity and magnetism.

Frankenstein's Lightning Laboratory - includes experiments on electricity and an activity to encourage electrical safety.