Tips and ideas for teaching magnetism as a unit to fourth graders with the use of technology.

1. Magnets
Science – Grade Level 4
By Jillian Geiger

2. Rationale
• Technology will be extremely helpful in
teaching the topic of magnetism because it is
a good way to get students interested in the
topic now that we live in a time that puts so
much emphasis on electronics
• Technology is also a good way to make up for
materials that are not accessible in the
classroom. This way, students can experiment
with magnets in a hands-on fashion without
having to worry about missing materials or
safety. This is a good way to get the students
involved in their learning as opposed to just
lecturing them about how magnets work.
Now they will be able to come up with
solutions on their own through
experimentation.
• This presentation will demonstrate the many
ways technology can assist in the teaching of
this topic.
Rationale Video

3. Evaluation of Internet Content
• The Internet is full of amazing resources that can
be used to make learning more fun! Things such
as videos, podcasts, and blogs can be really
helpful in getting students excited about
magnets.
• The Internet websites utilized in my presentation
are all extremely reliable and cited
• In order to visit the websites used in this Slide
Show, click the hyperlink while viewing the show
or copy and past the URLs into any search engine

4. • Video explaining magnets in an easy-to-
understand manner
• Pictured: A visual of the usually invisible magnetic
field
• Full Video: Youtube
Youtube Video

5. Blog
• Easy Science for Kids
This blog explains that the Earth is a magnet
in a simple way so kids can understand. Also
includes fun facts, a video, and useful
vocabulary. This is a good blog because it
approaches the topic of magnets in different
ways, which helps to engage different types
of learners.
• Full Website:
Easy Sciende for Kids

6. Podcast
• By Bill Nye the Science Guy who children tend
to love
–He is answering kid’s questions in the
podcast which makes him and the topics he
discusses more relatable – he is answering
questions from children who are my
students’ age
–Link: Podcast

7. Internet Resources
1. Physics for Kids is a website that teaches kids
about all different subjects. It is useful because
of its extensive content and interactive games.
2. Active Wild is a useful website because it
explores all different kinds of magnets instead
of offering superficial explanations. It explains
things such as electromagnets and compasses.
3. NeoK12 is an interactive website that offers a
variety of magnetism videos but also has
games and quizzes for the students as well.

8. Kidspiration Diagram:
Demonstrates Magnetic Rules of Attraction

9. Kidspiration Diagram Cont.
• This diagram demonstrates to kids that
magnets attract when their opposite poles
are facing each other. If their same poles
are facing one another they repel.
• It also shows that the names of the poles of
magnets are named “North,” and, “South.”
• The diagram was created using Kidspiration

10. Teaching Materials: App
• Magents is an App that the students can play
with to get a better understanding of
magnets’ attraction.
• In this game, the goal is to keep the magnets
apart by repelling them.

11. Teaching
Materials:
Word
Search
A word search like
this one is a fun way
to get the students
interested in
learning the
vocabulary of a unit

12. Teaching Materials: Book
Experiments with Magnets
would be a good book for the
students because it could get
them thinking about the
possibilities of magnets outside
of this lesson. A book like this
can give kids ideas about how
magnets are in the world around
them and how they effect things
in everyday life.

13. Teaching Materials: Magnet Kit
• The Super Science Magnet Kit
would be a fun way for my
students to experiment with
magnets in a hands on way.
• This solidifies concepts of
magnetism in kid’s minds as
opposed to just hearing about
them in theory
• This would also be useful in
reaching students with
different learning styles such
as body kinesthetic

14. Subject-Specific Resource
• On Science Net Links there is a lesson plan
that would tie in beautifully with the Super
Science Magnet Kit on the previous slide.
• It is an experiment that would allow students
to test the strength of magnets in a hands-on
way and make their own predictions
• This is helpful because it allows the students
to use the information they are taught to
expand their knowledge through
experimentation and hypothesis

15. Uses of the Internet
1. Online Books: Raz-Kids has an online book
about magnets that the children can read if
they finish their assignments early. The site
also contains a search engine where the kids
can do more research on magnetism.
2. Interactive Website: Science Kids offers
interactive games that the students can play
that experiment with magnetism. They can
learn more about why some magnets are
stronger and why some materials are not
attracted to magnets.

16. Web 2.0
• Scholsatic has an entire portion of its website
dedicated to posting lesson plans.
• This is a useful way for teachers to share their
ideas and build off of the ideas of others
before them
• These lesson plans can also be uploaded from
Scholastic directly to Google, Twitter,
Facebook, and Pinterest making it easy to
reach others with new inspiration.