Roberta A. Mazzucco
The unit entitled
Modern Electronic Inventions: Changing the Way People Live
, is a unit that was written for third grade students. However, all or parts of it can be appropriately used with second to fifth graders. The unit is interdisciplinary since it touches on science, social studies and includes art, and language arts. Students are encouraged to do a lot of hands on exploration in the science center. The historical development of our knowledge of electricity beginning with magnetism and static electricity is explored up to and through the making of the first battery, the generator, and modern technology and our reliance on transistors and chips. Whatever students are working on during lab time is mirrored in the classroom timeline, which visually shows the gradual development of this branch of science. All students are familiarized with the scientific method as utilized in the local science fair. Like real scientists, students keep a journal of the experiments and/or demonstrations they do. Students will work with magnets, static electricity, build an electromagnet, make a battery, and construct a dynamo. Students are required to prepare a final project, which can be a demonstration, experiment, poster, diorama, etc. A list of books for students and teachers is included.
(Recommended for Science and Social Studies, grades 2-5)
