Lesson

#6

Polarity

Subject/Gr
ade Level

Grade 2

Unit

Magnets

Date
Time
Durati
on
Teach
er

November 24, 2014

30 minutes
Ms. Janzen

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcome
s:
Specific
Learning
Outcome
s:

2-8 Describe the interaction of magnets with other magnets and with
common materials
4. Recognize that magnets have polarity, demonstrate that poles
may either repel or attract each other, and state a rule for when
poles will repel or attract each other.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Identify that magnets have polarity.
2. Demonstrate that poles may either repel of attract each other.
3. State a rule when poles will repel or attract.
By the end of the lesson students will demonstrate their understanding regarding magnetic polarity threw a means
of their choice.
Students will reflect their understanding of magnetic attraction and repulsion threw a least two different
expressions by the end of the lesson.
Following the learning activities students should be able to develop a rule for magnets repelling and attracting and
illustrate it in a way that is meaningful to them.

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:

Key Questions:
Products:

Answers to questions during discussion and actions during the

human magnets
Overall understanding during the human magnets.
Which ends attract, which ends repel, what do you feel
when they repel, what do you feel when they attract?
Human Magnets, Creation of Rule, Individual or Peer Expression of
Learning

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Alberta Program of Studies

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Magnets
Smartboard
Letters N and S

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson
Consider:

Attention Grabber
Assessment of Prior
Knowledge
Expectations for
Learning and
Behaviour
Advance
Organizer/Agenda

Work Sheets and Letters N or S for human magnets

Introduction / Body
Prior to the lesson the students will create a list of
terms that are important and required to move forward
on the topic of Magnetic Polarity and Repelling/
Attracting Poles.
My rational behind having the students develop the list with my
guidance versus it being teacher generated, is to help them think
about what they require to further their learning. This provides
students with the opportunity to think about what they

Time
25
minutes

Transition to Body

personally need to advance their learning. Through this task I

am also able to addresses the different needs of the students
without highlighting their differing levels of prior knowledge/
understanding. Often the teacher is telling the students what is
important and what is require. This activity avoids this and
enhance learning as students are the ones driving their
understanding around important concepts while also seeing what
their peers think is important. This also enables those students
with a language barrier to make connections to terms and
concepts that are meaning full to them. They also receive the
opportunity to express it to the rest of the class, creating a larger
community within the class. Students ultimately are provided
with a bigger picture around the topic that they will be working
with.
Trying to highlight words such as; repel, attract and
polarity.
We will then create a simple anchor chart that the
students will be able to refer to threw out the lesson
and the unit.
By creating the anchor chart, I am providing students a different
form of representation. Rather than just having words it also
incorporates pictures they can connect with the term. This is
important as some students may struggle with reading so having a
visual will develop greater understanding. It active enhances
student learning, through having the opportunity to refer to the
information if they need a refresher on a term or concept. An
anchor chart relieves students stress as they can focus on the main
ideas without worry about forgetting the meaning of a term.
Ultimately, I see this activity as on that can enhance student
comprehension and perception highlighting UDL principle of
Representation.
Miss. Janzen asking the questions: Which ends attract, which ends
repel?
Bring students to the carpet- Youtube Video to help explain polarity
(starting at 1.13min) (LO1&2)
Before we start the movie, the questions will be read aloud along with
the fill in the blank statements.
During the video students, will have a couple questions and fill in the
blanks to answer as the movie is going on.
Throughout this process I will also stop to ensure students are getting
the correct answers while also evaluating student understanding of the
ideas that are being addressed.
This will be done in the form of whole class discussion and brain
storming.
Student Activities in Three Centers:
Center 1: Repelling and Attracting Role Play
Each student will be given an N that they will
place on one arm to express the North pole of a
magnet and an S for the other arm to express
the South pole.
Students will then be paired using popsicle sticks
(so that they can have the opportunity to work
with different peers)
I will then ask the groups to express two magnets

repelling each other (Looking for one students to

express both peers N poles or both S poles
not wanting to come together)
I will then ask them to demonstrate attraction
(Students will do this by having one partners N
pole and the other partners S and show a
connection)
Providing students magnets to feel the different pulls that are produced
by the magnets when they are repelling or attracting
By providing the students with magnets in conjunction with role
play, I believe enhances learning about polarity. Through the role
play they could act out the actions; however, they were hindered in
the actual experience of feeling the different pulls of the magnets.
By providing the magnets I have not given the students that ability
to act out what is going on and physically feel what is going on
between the two magnets. Originally this activity worked well for
those who could visualize that was occurring between the magnets.
Those students who might struggle with visualizing a concept faced
a barrier, with this change their needs are addressed as well.
Center 2: Individual and Peer Collaboration
Following the Role play students will have the opportunity to work in
pairs or individually to develop a way in which they are going to
express their understanding of magnets polarity, repulsion, and
attraction.
Students will be provided with a list of options in which they
could choice two from but they are not limited to these form: mind
map, drawing, story, skit, foldable, anchor chart, comic, written
explanation.
For those students that work in pairs they will be asked to have one
piece of work of their own, to ensure that they understand the concept.
Center 3: Rule Construction
Now students, will come up with a rule that they think would help
explain magnets repulsion and attraction. They will generate their ideas
and express it on a stick note or piece of paper and place at their spot.
We will then put them together when we wrap it all up. (Doing so, for
students to generate something new or of their own without seeing
what their peers have come up with already).
Consider:

Consolidation of
Learning
Feedback from
Students
Feedback to
Students
Transition to Next
Lesson

Closure
Come back to the carpet putting your letters in the
basket at the front as you come to the carpet.
RULE: Is that like poles Repel and opposite poles
Attract
Take about how magnets have poles (North and
South)
Take up the ideas that the students expressed as
possible rules. Following this we will highlight a common
rule that is utilized just so that every student has a
common understanding of one rule.
To finish the class students will have time to express the
rule in a way that is meaningful and authentic to them.
My rational for provide the students will a common rule at the end
of the lesson is to provide students a common ground and
understanding around the common rule. For those students who

Time
5
minutes

may struggled to come up with a goal they can utilize this common
goal to help generate one that is more meaningful of simply adjust
it to make more sense for them. I believe that it is vital to give
students time to make the rule meaning full to them. By providing
my students is time they are more likely to remember the rule
because they could make personal connection (UDL checkpoint 7.1
& 7.2).