TM
Developed and Published
by
AIMS Education Foundation
This book contains materials developed by the AIMS Education Foundation. AIMS (Activities Integrating
Mathematics and Science) began in 1981 with a grant from the National Science Foundation. The non-profit
AIMS Education Foundation publishes hands-on instructional materials that build conceptual understanding.
The foundation also sponsors a national program of professional development through which educators may
gain expertise in teaching math and science.
Copyright © 2006 by the AIMS Education Foundation
All rights reserved. No part of this book or associated digital media may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means—except as noted below.
• A person purchasing this AIMS publication is hereby granted permission to make unlimited copies of any
portion of it (or the files on the accompanying disc), provided these copies will be used only in his or her
own classroom. Sharing the materials or making copies for additional classrooms or schools or for other
individuals is a violation of AIMS copyright.
• For a workshop or conference session, presenters may make one copy of any portion of a purchased activity
for each participant, with a limit of five activities or up to one-third of a book, whichever is less.
• All copies must bear the AIMS Education Foundation copyright information.
• Modifications to AIMS pages (e.g., separating page elements for use on an interactive white board) are
permitted only for use within the classroom for which the pages were purchased, or by presenters at
conferences or workshops. Interactive white board files may not be uploaded to any third-party website or
otherwise distributed. AIMS artwork and content may not be used on non-AIMS materials.
Digital distribution rights may be purchased for users who wish to place AIMS materials on secure servers for
school- or district-wide use. Contact us or visit the AIMS website for complete details.
AIMS Education Foundation
1595 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno, CA 93702-4706 • 888.733.2467 • aimsedu.org
ISBN 978-1-932093-26-1
Printed in the United States of America
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
Standards Alignment ................................ 1
Safe Science............................................. 3
Scientific Inquiry ....................................... 4
Assembling Rubber Band Books ............... 8
Science Journal ........................................ 9
Processes of Inquiry ............................... 10
Definitions of Inquiry .............................. 12
Rainbow Rounds ..................................... 15
Around the Bend .................................... 20
Prism Play .............................................. 22
The Lowdown on Light ........................... 27
Rainbow Disc ......................................... 28
Colortime Theater .................................. 35
Light Energy ........................................... 41
What’s Blocking the Light? ..................... 43
Foiled by Oil ........................................... 49
Light Reflections ..................................... 52
The Pharaoh’s Chamber ......................... 59
Light Rays Slow Down ............................ 76
Prism Paths ............................................ 81
Prism Periscope ...................................... 92
Static Sensations .................................. 104
Static Electricity ................................... 113
Static Strokes ....................................... 115
St. Elmo’s Fire...................................... 121
Electrical Energy .................................. 122
Sparky’s Light Kit ................................. 124
The Inside Story on Circuits .................. 129
Pathfinders ........................................... 130
Make a Switch ...................................... 138
Parallel Circuits .................................... 144
Series Circuits ...................................... 146
Electric Circuits .................................... 147
In the Scheme of Things ....................... 153
Put Your Name in Lights ....................... 161
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
Conductor or Insulator? ........................ 166
Conductors or Insulators? (RBB) .......... 173
Circuit Quiz Boards .............................. 174
Properties of Magnets ........................... 179
Floating Magnets .................................. 181
Magnetic Tug of War ............................. 186
Magnetic Games ................................... 192
Magnetic Shuffleboard .......................... 194
Magnets and Metal ............................... 201
Paper Clip Hangers ............................... 208
Albert Einstein and Magnet Play ........... 217
Magnetic Field Detectors ...................... 219
The Electromagnetic Connection .......... 229
Electromagnetic Explorations ............... 234
Electromagnets .................................... 241
Meter Tape ........................................... 255
Parent Letter ......................................... 256
Materials List ........................................ 257
Assessment .......................................... 258
Assessment Key ................................... 261
The AIMS Program ............................... 263
Model of Learning ............... 265
Chinese Proverb ................. 267
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
South Carolina
Science Content Standards
Physical Science
Fourth Grade
Properties of Light and Electricity
Standard 4-5
4-5.5
Explain how electricity, as a form of energy,
can be transformed into other forms of energy (including light, heat, and sound).
Electrical Energy
Sparky’s Light Kit
Put Your Name in Lights
4-5.6
Summarize the functions of the components
of complete circuits (including wire, switch,
battery, and light bulb).
Sparky’s Light Kit
The Inside Story on Circuits
Pathfinders
Electric Circuits
Make a Switch
In the Scheme of Things
4-5.7
Illustrate the path of electric current in series
and parallel circuits.
Parallel Circuits
Series Circuits
Electric Circuits
4-5.8
Classify materials as either conductors or
insulators of electricity.
Conductor or Insulator?
4-5.9
Summarize the properties of magnets
and electromagnets (including polarity,
attraction/repulsion, and strength).
Properties of Magnets
Floating Magnets
Magnetic Tug of War
Magnetic Games
Magnetic Shuffleboard
Magnets and Metal
Paper Clip Hangers
Magnetic Field Detectors
Electromagnetic Explorations
Electromagnets
4-5.10
Summarize the factors that affect the strength
of an electromagnet.
Electromagnets
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
properties of light and electricity. (Physical Science)
Indicators
4-5.1
4-5.2
Summarize the basic properties of light
(including brightness and colors).
Rainbow Rounds
Around the Bend
Prism Play
The Lowdown on Light
Rainbow Disc
What’s Blocking the Light?
Light Reflections
Light Rays Slow Down
Electric Circuits
In the Scheme of Things
Illustrate the fact that light, as a form of energy, is made up of many different colors.
Rainbow Rounds
Around the Bend
Prism Play
The Lowdown on Light
Rainbow Disc
4-5.3
Summarize how light travels and explain
what happens when it strikes an object (including reflection, refraction, and
absorption).
Light Reflections
The Pharaoh’s Chamber
Light Rays Slow Down
Prism Paths
Prism Periscope
Light Energy
4-5.4
Compare how light behaves when it
strikes transparent, translucent, and opaque
materials.
What’s Blocking the Light?
Foiled by Oil
Light Energy
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
1
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
Scientific Inquiry
Standard 4-1
The student will demonstrate an understanding of
scientific inquiry, including the processes, skills, and
mathematical thinking necessary to conduct a simple
scientific investigation.
Indicators
4-1.1
Classify observations as either quantitative or
qualitative.
Definitions of Inquiry
Prism Play
4-1.2
Use appropriate instruments and tools (including a compass, an anemometer, mirrors, and a
prism) safely and accurately when conducting
simple investigations.
Prism Play
Prism Paths
Prism Periscope
The Pharaoh’s Chamber
Magnetic Field Detectors
Electromagnetic Explorations
4-1.3
Summarize the characteristics of a simple
scientific investigation that represent a fair
test (including a question that identifies the
problem, a prediction that indicates a possible
outcome, a process that tests one manipulated
variable at a time, and results that are communicated and explained).
Paper Clip Hangers
Electromagnets
4-1.6
Construct and interpret diagrams, tables, and
graphs made from recorded measurements
and observations.
Colortime Theater
Pathfinders
Electric Circuits
In the Scheme of Things
Magnetic Tug of War
Paper Clip Hangers
4-1.7
Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.
Rainbow Discs
Colortime Theater
Sparky’s Light Kit
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
2
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
Equipment
Balance
Metric masses
Ring magnets
Cow magnets
Directional compass
Liter box
Prisms
Rulers
Flashlights
Small bulbs
Color cells
Small mirrors, 4 cm x 4 cm
Insulated copper wire
Wire stripper
Non-consumables and
Consumables
Crayons
Colored pencils
Markers
Pencils
Scissors
Glue
Glue stick
Transparent tape
Masking tape
Chart paper
Permanent markers
Paper clips, regular and jumbo
Paper fasteners
String
White copy paper
Rubber bands, #19
Medium binder clips
Index cards, 3 x 5 inch
Index cards, 4 x 6 inch
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
File folders
Hole punches
Transparency film wax
paper
Construction paper, many
colors
Brown paper towels
Cooking oil
Rubber balloons
Fluorescent bulb, small
Plastic wrap
Paper towels
Salt
Aluminum foil
Styrofoam pieces
Thread
D-cell batteries
Discarded compact discs (CDs)
Plastic cup, 9 oz
Brass house keys
Spoons
Aluminum cans
Steel safety pins
Copper
Nickels
Quarters
Tin can
Aluminum nails
Brass screws
Iron nails
257
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
mnemonic ROY G BIV stands for Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. A beam of light that
strikes any face of a prism at an angle other than 90°
is bent (refracted) as it enters and leaves the prism.
All the colors in white light travel at the same
speed, but they have different amounts of energy.
When a light beam strikes different media, it suddenly changes directions. This is called refraction.
Each color has a different wavelength and is bent differently, causing the colors to separate. Red light has
the longest wavelength and violet light the shortest
wavelength. Red light has the lowest frequency (least
energy) and violet light has the highest frequency
(greatest energy) for visible light.
Topic
Color spectrum
Key Question
What can we observe when we look at light that has
passed through a prism?
Learning Goal
Students will observe the lights in their classroom and
sunlight as they pass through a prism.
Guiding Document
NRC Standards
• Light interacts with matter by transmission
(including refraction), absorption, or scattering
(including reflection). To see an object, light from
that object—emitted by or scattered from it—must
enter the eye.
• Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data
and extend the senses.
visible light
R O Y G B I V
Science
Physical science
light energy
visible spectrum
increasing frequency
decreasing wavelength
Integrated Processes
Observing
Collecting and recording data
Drawing conclusions
Management
1. Caution students to never look directly at the sun.
2. Students can work in groups of three or four
although each student should be given the opportunity to manipulate the prism.
Materials
Prisms
White paper
Colored pencils
Procedure
1. Ask the Key Question and state the Learning Goal.
2. Invite the students to use the prism as an eyepiece
and look at the classroom lights. Encourage them
to rotate the prism in all ways while viewing the
lights.
3. Discuss their observations.
4. Inform the students that they will be going outside
to observe what happens when sunlight passes
through the prism. Tell them they will try to focus
the spectrum on a sheet of white paper (or on a
concrete slab if available). Warn them to not look
directly at the sun!
Background Information
Prisms are manufactured in a wide variety of
shapes. The prisms used in schools are most often
triangular-shaped pieces of clear glass or plastic. One
of the most common shapes is the equilateral triangle. This prism is called a dispersion prism because it
is used to disperse light into its rainbow of colors.
Isaac Newton was the first to use a glass dispersion prism to spread a beam of sunlight (called
white light) into its broad spectrum of colors. The
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
22
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
5. Go outside and let students manipulate the prisms
until they see a spectrum. Have them note the
order of the colors.
6. Go back inside the classroom. Distribute the student page and have students write the order of the
colors and then use their colored pencils to finish
the page.
triangular
prism
white light
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
Connecting Learning
1. Describe what you observed when you looked
through the prism at the lights in the classroom. Is
this a quantitative or qualitative observation?
2. What did you observe when you looked at the
spectrum from the sunlight?
3. Was there a difference between what you saw
when you looked at the sunlight and the electric
lights? Explain.
4. What conclusion can you draw about what makes
up sunlight?
5. What are you wondering now?
red
orange
yellow
green
blue
indigo
violet
23
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
Key Question
What can we observe
when we look at light
that has passed through
a prism?
Learning Goal
observe the lights in their classroom and
sunlight as they pass through a prism.
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
24
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
White light is made of
colors mixed together. A
prism shows us the colors
in light.
Color to match what you observe.
Prism Play
19
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
25
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning
1. Describe what you observed
when you looked through the
prism at the lights in the classroom. Is this a quantitative or
qualitative observation?
2. What did you observe when you looked
at the spectrum from the sunlight?
3. Was there a difference between what
you saw when you looked at the sunlight and the electric lights? Explain.
4. What conclusion can you draw about
what makes up sunlight?
5. What are you wondering now?
Core Curriculum/South Carolina
26
© 2006 AIMS Education Foundation