ECD 133 Preschool Learning Plan Format

Activity Name: Using Magnets for fun!

Age of Child(ren): 3

Setting: Individual
Developmental Focus: Cognitive
Key Content Focus: Science: Physical Science
Key Content Area Concepts:
Magnets can be of various shapes, but all of them have the ability to
pull things towards themselves.
Magnets exert a force, which can be described as a push (repel) or a
pull (attraction); the force is strongest at the end of the magnets.
Magnets attract materials composed of iron and nickel; these materials
are magnetic.
Key Content Area Skills:
Sorting: The child will use their sorting skills as he sorts through the
objects that are magnetic and nonmagnetic
Predicting: The child will be predicting which objects he thinks will be
magnetic and which objects will be nonmagnetic
Learning Outcomes: The child will . . .sort the objects into two different
categories, magnetic and non-magnetic.
ELS: AL-3K-2.3 Demonstrate delight or satisfaction when completing a
task, solving problems, or making a discovery
ELS: AL-3K-4.1 Understand how to accomplish a simple task
Other Standards:
Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood PreKindergarten:
3.2 PK.A.1 Sort and describe objects according to size, shape, color, and
texture
https://www.pakeys.org/uploadedContent/Docs/Career
%20Development/2014%20Pennsylvania%20Learning%20Standards%20for
%20Early%20Childhood%20PreKindergarten.pdf (pg. 44)
3.2 PK.B.7 Participate in simple investigations of energy and motion to
answer a question or to test a prediction (pg. 46)
Materials to collect/prepare: printed copy of lesson plan, paper for notes,
writing utensils, camera, large magnet, metal items (small metal toys, metal
lids, small baking pans, a pancake turner), non-metal items (plastic cups,
plastic spoons, a small rubber duck), two buckets (one for the items that
would adhere to the magnet and the other for the items that would not
adhere), A Look at Magnets by Barbara Alpert

Transition/warm up/introduction: The child will be introduced to magnets

and with this lesson the child is going to observe different metal and nonmetal objects. The child will be sorting the objects into different categories
one of items that would stick to the large magnet and one of items that
would not stick to the magnet. Before I let the child use the large magnet we
will first look at a book called, A Look at Magnets, which is a book that
explains magnets and how they work. The book also names some interesting
items that we have in the environment that the child may not know are
magnetic. I will talk to the child about some of the different items that I have
brought and I will explain to the child the difference between the metal items
and the non-metal items before we begin the lesson.
Adult Procedures:
1. I will first begin by allowing the child to explore the large magnet so
that he can get the feel of how the large magnet attracts certain items
2. Next I will ask the child to help me place the metal and non-metal
items into one big pile
3. Then I will allow the child to begin using the large magnet on the
different items to see which items would adhere to the magnet or not
4. Next I will ask the child to sort the items that were magnetic in one
bucket and the non-magnetic items in the other bucket
5. I will then ask the child to tell me what other items could we use that
would attach to the large magnet
6. Then I will ask the child if he would help me make sure the different
items were sorted into their correct bucket
7. Lastly I will thank the child for his participation with my activity and I
will return the child back to his classroom
Child Procedures:
1. First the child will . . .explore the large magnet
2. Next the child will . . .begin placing the metal and non-metal items into
one pile
3. Then the child will . . .use the large magnet to see which items in the
pile would adhere or not adhere to the magnet
4. Next the child will . . . sort the magnetic and non-magnetic items into
two separate buckets
5. Then the child will . . . answer the open-ended question about what
other items could be used that would attach to the magnet
6. Next the child will . . .check to see if the items are sorted into their
correct buckets of magnetic and non-magnetic
7. Finally the child will . . .return back to his classroom
Conversation to Support Learning/Talking with Children:
1. Can you tell me what magnets are used for
2. Tell me about some other items that we could have used that would
have stuck to the large magnet
3. Can you tell me where do you think magnets are used in our
environment and why
4. How about magnets being different sizes can you tell me if that affects
their power

5. Tell me about the different metal and non-metal items we used and
why do you think we used them
Observations and Assessment:
Throughout the lesson plan I focused on the child working with an activity
that would promote physical science learning. The concepts that I wanted
the child to learn from this lesson about magnets were that magnets can be
of various shapes, but all of them have the ability to pull things towards
themselves and that magnets attract materials composed of iron and nickel.
In this lesson the child was to use his sorting and predicting skills; I would
have evidence on the childs sorting skills as I observed him sorting the
different items into two separate categories of magnetic and non-magnetic. I
would then see the child using his predicting skills, as he would predict which
items would adhere to the large magnet and which items would not.
Accommodations for individuals:
Simplification for atypical learners: This lesson can be simplified
by the teacher if she were to only use a small amount of items that would
stick to the large magnet, and also if she did not go into much depth about
magnets and how they are used.
Challenge for advanced learners: This lesson can be made more
challenging by the teacher by using more items that were magnetic and nonmagnetic and by also going into depth with this lesson on force and bringing
those concepts into the lesson as well.
Resources:
http://www.prekinders.com/?s=magnets
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline
/science/samples/pages/magnets.aspx
https://www.pakeys.org/uploadedContent/Docs/Career
%20Development/2014%20Pennsylvania%20Learning%20Standards%20for
%20Early%20Childhood%20PreKindergarten.pdf