If you need a little help teaching your 6th, 7th, or 8th-grade science class about static electricity and magnetic fields, this complete unit will save you time and keep your students engaged!
This LARGE unit will cover 12 days worth of lessons if you use my suggested schedule!
Students will love these labs on static electricity and magnetism! Both magnetic fields and static electric fields will be examined. We cannot see these fields, but we can see the forces they exert on each other even when objects are not touching.
Static Electricity and Magnetic Fields for Middle School Science
Students will learn about energy fields by studying these two topics (static electricity and magnetism) and will be able to demonstrate a field through a hands-on activity.
Students will also use engineering skills to create an electromagnet and then they will test it using Fair Test practices to see if they can influence the strength or their electromagnet.
There is a slide show on static electricity that will give background information on theatomic structure and the interaction of electrons in simple terms that middle school science students can understand.
This resource includes six labs in the 5 E format. It also includes follow up pages for each lab.
A three-page article on magnetism is included with comprehension questions. Students will practice reading informational text skills aligned with CCSS. Word Wall Words are included.
Students will also make a model of electrons moving to create charge imbalance and of static discharge. This aligns with MS PS1-1 and will help students make a model that shows the electrons and protons of several molecules.
This is a standards-aligned unit designed to cover NGSS MS-PS2-3 and MS-PS2-5.
Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. Examples of devices that use electric and magnetic forces could include electromagnets, electric motors, or generators. Examples of data could include the effect of the number of turns of wire on the strength of an electromagnet, or the effect of increasing the number or strength of magnets on the speed of an electric motor. Assessment about questions that require quantitative answers is limited to proportional reasoning and algebraic thinking.
NGSS MS-PS2-3
Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact. Examples of this phenomenon could include the interactions of magnets, electrically-charged strips of tape, and electrically-charged pith balls. Examples of investigations could include first-hand experiences or simulations. Assessment is limited to electric and magnetic fields, and limited to qualitative evidence for the existence of fields.
NGSS MS-PS2-5
It also covers Utah SEEd 7.1.3 and 7.1.4.
Construct a model using observational evidence to describe the nature of fields that exist between objects that exert forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact. Emphasize the cause and effect relationship between properties of objects (such as magnets or electrically-charged objects) and the forces they exert.
Utah SEEd 7.1.3
Collect and analyze data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. Examples could include electromagnets, electric motors, or generators. Examples of data could include the effect of the number of turns of wire on the strength of an electromagnet, or of increasing the number or strength of magnets on the speed of an electric motor.
Utah SEEd 7.1.4
Other teachers LOVE this unit!
Check out two of the dozens of perfect ratings:
Great resource. My students loved the exciting labs! They really seemed to learn the material. This is a really well-designed unit and algins with the standards.
Camille J.
I loved this resource, and was able to use it partly in class in person and then was able to adapt it to online learning when school shut down. Thank you!
Cassidy F.
Try this unit in your classroom TODAY:
This unit is available for download in two places:
Both downloads are identical in every way – if you download directly from this site, you’re giving me the maximum amount of support!
Either way, your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.
This site uses 100% secure checkout with PayPal, and after checkout your download is instantly available.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy using this unit in your classroom!
