Mohonasen Central School District - Elementary Curriculum Support Materials

This unit guide made possible by the collaborative efforts of 

Amanda Lester - Grade 4 Teacher and Diana Jamack - Science Lab Specialist

Key Vocabulary

Resource List

All references to "Standards" below are the New York State Elementary Core Curriculum Science Standards 

(pdf file -will require adobe acrobat - get the free adobe reader download here)

Title: KWL'ing students conceptions of electricity (see vocab list)

Objective(s):

Used a pre-assessment to determine students' prior knowledge.  Teachers do not need to pre-teach any concepts prior to Lab #1

Standards:

Pre-assessment

Electricity

Circuit

Battery

Light

Output

Conductor

Conductive

Open Circuit

Closed Circuit

Title: Lab 1 "Lighting the Bulb"

Objective(s): SWBAT design and create a working circuit and understand that electricity cannot flow without a circular path that leads back to its source.

Standards (Physical Setting)

3.1e The material(s) an object is made up of determine some specific properties of the object (sink/float, conductivity, magnetism). Properties can be observed or measured with tools such as hand lenses, metric rulers, thermometers, balances, magnets, circuit testers, and graduated cylinders.

4.1a Energy exists in various forms: heat, electric, sound, chemical, mechanical, light. 

4.1b Energy can be transferred from one place to another.

4.1c Some materials transfer energy better than others (heat and electricity).

4.1d Energy and matter interact: a bulb is lighted by means of electrical current;.         

4.1e Electricity travels in a closed circuit.

Circuit

Light

Battery

Property

Click on the Title to the left to access a copy of the lab

Lesson 2

Title: "Checking our Understanding: Circuits.  An Intro to Magnetism"

Objective(s): 

1. Reinforce students conceptualization of a circuit

(Need Link to resource / sample lesson)

2. Demonstrate magnetism

(Need Link to resource / sample lesson)

3. (ELA) Demonstrate to students how suffixes of words indicate word usage (-ism = noun ~ property, -ic = adjective ~ describing a property of a noun)

Standards (Physical Setting)

see above

5.1e Magnetism is a force that may attract or repel certain materials.

Attract

Circuit

Electricity

Open Circuit

Closed Circuit

Magnet

Magnetic

Magnetism

Property

Repel

Great Suffix Source Page

http://www.southampton.liu.edu/

academic/pau/course/websuf.htm

Objective(s): SWBAT discern how the properties of a material allow it to conduct, or not conduct electricity.  Students will also be able to incorporate various materials into circuits to test their conductive properties.

Standards (Physical Setting)

see above

Conductors

Switches

Property

Circuits

Magnetic / Magnetism (intro'd in this lab)

Objective(s): Students' concepts of conductors and insulators will be reinforced and developed further 

(need sample lesson resource)

Standards (Physical Setting)

see above

Conductors

Insulators

Circuit

Property

Objective(s): SWBAT apply their understanding of conductors to their use in switches built into circuits.  SWBAT to build a circuit with a working switch.

Standards (Physical Setting)

see above

Conductor

Insulator

Circuit

Property

Switch

Objective(s): Students' concepts of conductors and insulators and how they make effective / ineffective switches will be reinforced and developed further

(need sample lesson resource)

Standards (Physical Setting)

see above

Conductor

Insulator

Circuit

Property

Switch

In design currently

Attract

Magnet

Magnetic

Magnetism

Repel

In design currently