The Brown Bag Teacher

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Magnets: 1st Grade Science

Hello, friends1 Today I’m stopping by to share about our recent, Magnet Day. With the end of the year, I’m trying to integrate our learning more than I did at the beginning of the year (this is one of my big goals next year as our school begins to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards), and The Science Penguin’s Primary Science pack has made my first-couple of science-themed days much simpler.

To prepare for our day of learning I created exploratory buckets for each of my table groups based on Ari’s recording log. I also added in a few extras that I thought my friends would enjoy – paper clips, crayon, rubber bands, paperclips, bingo counters, pencils, straws, marbles. Focusing on a discovery model of learning, we started with the hands-on experience and then, spent time learning the vocabulary/content behind our experience.

Before exploring, each student recorded their predictions – what materials will did we thing would be attracted to the magnet?
Then, it was time to explore. Students worked in their table groups (4-5 friends) to determine which materials were attracted to the magnets. I gave each table group 2-3 magnets from the magnet kits our school purchased from Learning Resources.

As students worked, they determined which objects were magnetic and just ones were not. I set the timer on the board for 20 minutes, so students could budget their time as they wanted.

After cleaning up, we met on the carpet and read, Magnets Push, Magnets Pull. It’s a fabulous nonfiction book written so 1st grade friends can read/understand it, but still includes spot-on content vocabulary.

Then, to dig a bit deeper into some of the vocabulary, we used the Projectable Book from Reading A-Z: Power of Magnets. We read the book together on the SMART Board highlighting vocabulary words, making lists of everyday things that have magnets inside of them, and then, learned about magnet safety.

Finally, Annie and Moby taught us about the two forces in the world – pushes and pulls. We love the humor of Moby, and taking the ‘HARD’ quiz is always very exciting! 😉

After our afternoon of learning, we brainstormed what we had learned and important vocabulary we heard throughout the day. Our ‘Brain Spills’ are a perfect time to clear-up misconceptions and review our learning.
Then, students wrote paragraphs about their learning. Some students chose to write opinion paragraphs (why magnets are interesting) and some chose to write inform/explain paragraphs. Reading each student’s response, I was *really* impressed and reminded how much my students love science.

All-in-all we spent about 2.5 hours on our magnet learning. I snuck it in on a day we were missing specials (50 minutes), skipped morning work for an extra 15 minutes, and then, used our theme time (50 minutes). Although I feel like there is never enough time for science, when we do it, I’m always reminded how important and motivating it is. We read high-level, real-world texts, we get hands-on experience, and are able to share our learning in writing!

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