Cobalt Band Scientists Explore Electricity and Magnetism
Scientists in Cobalt Band are currently engaged in authentic sense-making activities meant to deepen their understanding of magnetic and electric forces, including how these two types of forces relate to each other, and how they are used in everyday devices such as electronic circuits, electromagnets, and motors. The learners are practicing thinking abstractly about the mechanisms that they cannot see that lead to observations such as a light bulb lighting or a magnet repelling the like pole of another magnet. They are starting to build a more robust mental model of the nature of matter, especially around the concepts of atoms and electrons, work that will continue in the next unit, Matter and Its Interactions.
Throughout the Electric and Magnetic Forces unit, Cobalt Band learners will design and execute fair-test experiments, interpret data (including graphs), and construct arguments.
Specific “Big Questions” explored include:
How do changes to a circuit affect the brightness of a single bulb within a circuit?
Variables will include bulb orientation (series versus parallel), battery voltage, and number of bulbs
What impacts the strength of an electromagnet?
Variables will include wire length and gauge, number of batteries, number of wire loops, and size and material of electromagnet core
Ultimately, the young scientists will be generating well-reasoned scientific claims through the creation of evidence boards and the oral presentation of results to peers. They will even write their first formal lab report on an investigation of their choice, and use the makerspace to prototype solutions to an engineering challenge: Build a fast-moving motorized toy car.
