Beyond Kites

an Extension for the 4th Grade Kit Electric Circuits


by Terry Canann and Tony Dionisi


The following project is currently under progress by Rhode Island teachers as part of the SMART96. Although in some activities the teachers have borrowed and adapted ideas from other teachers, current programs, and sources on the Internet, the work is their own. The activities are displayed here in their original form, unedited as they have submitted them. In most cases, these are ongoing projects. The names, school districts, and email addresses of the authors are included. Please feel free to contact the authors with any suggestions, comments, or even participation.

Description of Project:

This site is an interactive project on electromagnetic motors which is an extension of the K.I.T.E.S. Project designed for the 4th grade curriculum in East Providence and the East Bay Educational Collaborative. This on-going project is asking 4th grade classes to build an electromagnetic motor as described in this site. The classes will then experiment with different variables using their constructed motor and submit their results to this site. The results will be tabulated and available for comparison. This project involves using the scientific method of experimentation for "hands on" science.

Scientific Concept:

A coil of wire becomes an electromagnet when current passes through it. The electromagnet interacts with a permanent magnet, causing the coil to spin.

Rhode Island State Frameworks Benchmarks:

The R.I. State Frameworks are strongly based upon the AAAS Project 2061 benchmarks as well as the National Science Standards. The benchmarks listed below are from the Project 2061 Benchmarks publication.

Chapter 4 The Physical Setting
Section G Forces of Nature
Benchmarks for Grades 6-8
Benchmark 3 (of 3) (page 95)
Electric currents and magnets can exert a force on each other.

Chapter 8 The Designed World
Section C Energy Sources and Use
Benchmarks for Grades K-2
Benchmark 2 (of 2) (page 193)
People burn fuels such as wood, oil, coal, or natural gas, or use electricity to cook their food and warm their houses.

Chapter 8 The Designed World
Section C Energy Sources and Use
Benchmarks for Grades 6-8
Benchmark 4 (of 6) (page 194)
Electrical energy can be produced from a variety of energy sources and can be transformed into almost any other form of energy. Moreover, electricity is used to distribute energy quickly and conveniently to distant locations.

Chapter 8 The Designed World
Section D Communication
Benchmarks for Grades 6-8
Benchmark 2 (of 2) (page 198)
Information can be carried by many media, including sound, light, and objects. In this century, the ability to code information as electric currents in wires, electromagnet waves in space, and light in glass fibers has made communication millions of times faster than is possible by mail or sound.

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