4^th Graders Light Up Our Lives

Ms. Erickson, Mrs. McFadden, Mr. Onativia, Mrs. Rudin, Ms. Christie-Blick

Fourth graders have been lighting the way in science with their discoveries of magnetism and electricity. Attracted to magnets from the beginning, the students discovered that this incredible force could even defy gravity! They were equally surprised to find that not all metals are magnetic. Experimenting with batteries, bulbs, motors and wires, the children learned how to change the chemical energy stored inside a battery into electrical energy, and then light energy and mechanical energy. The students got a charge out of testing a variety of materials, to discover which are conductors of electricity, and noted with interest that not all conductors are magnetic. As they learned more about the unique relationship between magnetism and electricity, they put together pieces of the puzzle to figure out how to create their own electromagnets.

Can you imagine a world without electric lights, recorded music, or movies? Thanks to the many inventions of Thomas Edison and his workers, nearly 100 years ago, we have much of the technology we enjoy today. Our fourth graders learned about Edison through readings, videos, and online research.  Now that they’re learning how to think like scientists, we hope they will continue to look for patterns and make connections both inside and outside of the science classroom.