Assessment
Prior to Invention Convention
Because "Invention Convention" is designed to be an application and extension of students' magnets and electricity learning, it is important that students have used inquiry techniques to explore the following essential questions:
- How do I create a series circuit?
- How do I create a parallel circuit?
- When is it more useful to use either a series or parallel circuit?
- How do magnets work?
- What is magnetic?
- How can magnets push or pull to do work?
- Can I make other objects temporarily magnetic?
- Can magnets and electricity work together?
- How do I make an electromagnet?
- What inventions do I use that have electromagnets?
There are extensive web resources with inquiry investigations allowing students to explore, question, and design ways of testing theories to facilitate learning about magnets and electricity. Some of these web resources can be found on the links page.
Using a prepared science kit can often be helpful for teachers because it provides background information, a plan for addressing all magnets / electricity objectives, and all the materials needed to implement inquiry learning. The FOSS Kit entitled "Magnets and Electricity" is an excellent resource to be used prior to "Invention Convention" because it guides students to build circuits and electromagnets, and understand how both work in a way students will be able to utilize when designing and building their own inventions.
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