The purpose of this unit is to present an interdisciplinary curriculum which centers on electricity, but extends to social studies, art, math and language arts too. The seminar in which this was written for dealt not only with the scientific aspects but the resulting inventions, their inventors, and the effect all of these innovations had on the world. This unit seeks to take some of the basic principles of magnetism and electricity and join them with a study of how and why these things happened and why they were important.
My objective in writing this unit is to have my students deal with science while also seeing how it has practical implications for them. Most educators acknowledge that our students do not always get enough science education especially in the lower grades. Beyond that, many are woefully ignorant of the inventors who made these discoveries and their impact on the world. Most children do not realize the importance of the transistor or the electric light or electromagnetism. I believe that a unit like this can fulfil a lot of curriculum needs for my third graders.