1. 1. Silvija Tot, SCHOOL FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
WITH STUDENTS’ HOME OF RESIDENCE “Vuk Karadžić”, SOMBOR,
SERBIA, tot.silvija@gmail.com
2. Marija Bošnjak, НОВИ САД UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF PEDAGOGY,
SOMBOR, SERBIA, 96marija.bosnjak@gmail.com
ACQUISITION OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM TERMS
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES
TEACHING PROCESS
2. One of the most important objectives of elementary education is to prepare
pupils for understanding and discovering the world they live in. Adapting
teaching forms, methods and aids to pupils’ needs brings success. Our main aim
is to teach pupils how to learn.
In the course of these classes, our objective was to raise curiosity and achieve
acquisition of such abstract terms as those that refer to MAGNETISM AND
ELECTRICITY via experiments and creative approach.
Experiments offer a chance for involvement of all the pupils. Adequate planning
and realization will make it possible for all the little individuals to find their
place in the activities.
3. The subject of this paper
The subject of this paper is to investigate the possibility of improving the results
of teaching through acquisition of scientific terms using experiments in the subject
Science and Social Studies. The basis of this paper is the bloom taxonomy of
learning.
To find answers to our questions on ELECTRICITY and MAGNETISM, we
opted for conducting experiments in Science and Social Studies.
We intended to find answers to the following issues:
Whether experiments i.e. problem-creative organization of teaching within
Science and Social Studies contribute to more efficient acquisition of knowledge,
a wish to know and motivation.
The quality of knowledge and how pupils form scientific terms via experiments
and how this helps better expression and formation of concepts, both orally and in
writing. This will be confirmed by interview and final test during additional
activities with pupils.
4. Experiments within the subject Science and Social Studies offer possibility for a
more modern, rational and successful organization of classes. Passive listening has
been replaced by pupils’ personal engagement well defined by the saying THE
CHILD LEARNS WHAT IT LIVES.
Organization and procedure
The experiments were realized at “Ivo Lola Ribar” primary school of Sombor, in
the 4th class in May 2014. All the details of the lessons were carefully planned
involving teaching aids and instruments.
5. Reading the story: The Legend of Shepherd Magnis by Lev N. Tolstoy
MAGNETISM
Followed by realization of materials prepared on the following topics:
•The concept of magnet and its effect on different substances;
•Magnetic poles;
•Magnetic field;
•Work done by magnetic field on different substances.
6. CREATION OF EXPERIMENTAL SITUATION
Pupils were shown short experiments aimed at their understanding of certain terms.
They were encouraged to participate in the experiments.
Metal chips and a horseshoe magnet
With the help of a horseshoe magnet, spots with the strongest magnetic force were indicated
7. Pupils are active.
They watch with curiosity and
discover magnetic field.
We have seen that two like poles repel, thus
concluding that two opposite poles attract each
other.
8. The horseshoe magnet has attracted coins made of iron, but not those made
of copper or aluminum.
9. INDEPENDENT EXPERIMENTAL WORK IN GROUPS
FOLLOWS
Pupils work in groups. Each group performs the same experiment with the
help of identical bases and with the same objects and magnets of different
strengths. After a time, the groups replace only the bases, thus each group
is given the chance to perform the experiment on all three bases.
EXPERIMENT: Playing with magnets
Equipment: magnets of different sizes and shapes, plastic plate
(translucent), cardboard, school-desk, objects made of different materials.
10. What did it all look like?
Pupils are experimenting
Pupils are discussing.
11. Observations by groups 1, 2, 3
Each of the groups made
notes on their observation
later to be transferred onto
a poster.
12. Revision of the material learned and drawing conclusions on a board.
Pupils’ observation written on a poster.
Each of the groups had their own space allocated.
13. ELECTRICITY
We talk about electricity in nature. I lead pupils to remember lightning as the most
impressive natural effect of electricity.
Realization of materials prepared on the
following concepts:
- What electricity is
- Sorts of electricity (positive, negative)
- Electric charge
- Electric field
- Lightning, thunder
- Electroscope.
14. CREATING EXPERIMENTAL SITUATIONS – INSTRUCTIONS FOR
PUPILS’ INDEPENDENT WORK
Pupils work in groups. Each group performs a different experiment
1. EXPERIMENT: Charging by rubbing
Equipment: comb, plastic ruler, balloon, wooden spoon, wool or hair, small pieces of
paper or styrofoam.
2. EXPERIMENT: Charged balloon
Equipment: Balloon, wool, fur, hair, small pieces of paper or styrofoam, classroom
wall.
3. EXPERIMENT: Experiment with the electroscope.
Equipment: Balloon, plastic ruler, wool, fur, hair, electroscope.
20. Each of the groups
transferred their observation
onto the poster.
PUPILS’ INDEPENDENT
WORK WITH
CONCLUSIONS
21. HOMEWORK – Class IV
Name and surname: ________________________
Equipment: Plastic ruler or balloon, wool or fur (pupils may use their own hair
as well).
Instructions: Open the tap in the bathroom and let water trickle. Bring a
plastic ruler/balloon previously charged by rubbing with wool, fur or hair. Rub
the ruler with one of the said materials. Observe the effect this has on water.
Repeat the experiment several times.
Note down what you observed.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.
22. THE THIRD – ADDITIONAL CLASS
In order to check homework, assess acquisition of MAGNETISM -
ELECTRICITY terms, administer the final test and interview pupils, I required an
additional class.
23. These are some of the replies I received:
1. „I let water trickle and brought a charged ruler to it. The trickle started moving
away a little.“
2. „As I bring the balloon nearer to water it moves sideway. The balloon is
charged.“
3. „Water moves away and sideway.“
4. „I saw that the ruler attracted water.“
5. „The higher the charge of the balloon the closer water moves to it.“
6. „When I rubbed the balloon against my hair and brought it near the water,
the trickle of water was moving left and right as I was moving the balloon.“
7. „When we moved the charged ruler to the trickle, it attracted the trickle.“
8. „Rubbing the ruler against my hair, I charged it. Then I brought it to the trickle
and the water came closer to it.“
24. INTERVIEWING – AUDIO RECORDED (examples) - ELECTRICITY
ME: Which experiment were you doing when we were dealing with electricity?
PUPIL 2: „I did experiment no. 1.“
(I asked him what they had been doing and if he could describe it to me).
PUPIL 2: „We studied electric charge on various objects. First, we took a balloon
and rubbed it against our hair, wool and fur. Then we tried to bring the balloon to
pieces of paper and it attracted them. Then we tried to do the same with a
wooden spoon, but it did not attract the pieces of paper because it is an insulator.
(I praised the pupil for his answer and told him he had managed to understand
both the concepts and what we were actually doing.)
25. ME: How did metal chips behave in the vicinity of the horseshoe magnet?
PUPIL 2: „The iron powder started following the magnet.“
ME: What was it like. Who can remember? (PUPIL 1 replied).
PUPIL 1: „The spines of the powder bristled and it looked like a hedgehog.
As the magnet was moving away the spines were lowering. As it was moving
towards the iron powder, the spines were bristling.
ME: What was the strongest in all this? What showed itself?
PUPIL 2: Magnetic field.
INTERVIEWING – AUDIO RECORDED (examples) - MAGNETISM
26. Example of analysis of the final test
Питања Тачних одговора Нетачних /без
одговора
1. Које својство су приказали одређени
предмети (балон, чешаљ, пластични лењир)
кад смо их потрљали вуном, крзном или о
косу?
8 -33,33% 16 - 66,66%
2. Шта се десило са вашом косом и са
папирчићима, када сте им приближили
наелектрисане предмете?
21 - 87,5% 3 - 12,5%
3. Да ли сте успели да наелектришете дрвену
варјачу? Зашто?
17 - 70,83% 7 - 21,17%
4. Сети се огледа са електроскопом. Шта се
десило са листићима алуфолије када сте
шарафу на врху металне шипке приближили
наелектрисан балон?
19 - 79,17% 5 - 20,83%
5. Да је шипка електроскопа била дрвена да ли
би дошло до раздвајања алуфолије?
22 - 91,67% 2 - 8,33%
6. Сети се домаћег задатка. Како је реаговао
млаз воде када си му приближио/ла
наелектрисан предет?
20 - 83,33%
4 - 16,67%
27. Питања Тачних одговора Нетачних /без
одговора
7. Који полови магнета се привлаче а који се
одбијају?
16 - 66,67% 8 - 33,33%
8. Шта се десило када сте испод пластичне плоче
са металном пиљевином, принели потковичасти
магнет? Шта си запазио? Напиши.
20 - 83,33% 4 - 16,67%
9. Зашто магнет није покупио сваки новчић? 16 - 66,67% 8 - 33,33%
10. Свако од вас је имао прилику да у току
огледа са магнетима користи све површине
(пластична плоча, картон, ђачка клупа). По твом
личном искуству преко које површине је деловао
магнет најјаче?
18 - 75% 6 - 25%
11. Од ког материјала су били предмети који су
се померили?
23 - 95,83% 1 - 4,17%
12. Имали смо магнете разних величина и
облика. Који је од њих деловао најјаче на
предмете од гвожђа? Сети се. Напиши.
21 - 87,5% 3 - 12,5%
28. Pupils’ answers in the final test were often ununderstandable, too
short and sketchy.
Of course, there were exceptions i.e. answers by talented pupil,
who replied to some questions in great detail and with full
understanding, even pretty scientifically.
29. Conclusions and replies to set questions/problems
As for the interviewing of pupils, the mere announcement of testing boosted
motivation and readiness for cooperation and communication. Their answers, the
sentences they formed, the concepts they used met my expectations. It often
appeared that after the answers given they insisted on further communication.
Apart from giving detailed, interesting answers, they had additional questions.
This confirms the most important issue:
1. Experiments i.e. problem-creative organization of teaching within Science
and Social Studies do contribute to more efficient acquisition of knowledge, a
wish to know and motivation.
30. While writing, pupils do not have the chance of hearing others. There is no
exchange of opinion or information, which would be required for those pupils
who do not perform at the level of the others. Those pupils who show better
progress in practice and revision lessons should be encouraged by us, teachers, to
help their counterparts who find it difficult to match others. Bearing this in mind,
we should devise activities that facilitate the said assistance. It is a fact that pupils
help each other willingly since they are focused on the same aim during team
work. By analysis of the final test and its comparison with the interview, the
second issue was confirmed:
2. Pupils find it easier and perform better in expressing and formation of
scientific terms orally than in writing. Therefore, every teacher should have, in
the course of lesson planning, especially within Science and Social Studies, which
is the basis of functioning in both everyday situations and the social environment,
a clear objective of every class. Teaching and learning situations shall be adapted
to pupils’ needs and interests and the teacher shall be willing to involve
experiments into Science and Social Studies. Pupils are the best analysts in
recognizing a good, motivated teacher and they do appreciate the effort such a
teacher makes.
