Module 2

Electricity and magnetism are some of the most fascinating physics phenomena to study in a middle school classroom. Students will measure the force of invisible magnetic fields, learn to build a circuit, design an electromagnet, and explain the energy transfers that make it all possible. The anchor phenomena for this course are force interactions and effects. The driving question for the course is what is the relationship between magnetic and electric forces?

In the FOSS Electromagnetic Force Course, students manipulate equipment to collect data about magnetic fields and electricity. They construct explanations based on observable patterns and develop models that define the cause-and-effect relationships of the forces and interactions they are measuring.

The culmination of the course leads students to consider accessible energy sources and the reliance of modern lifestyles on access to this energy, as well as the consequences of such energy use. Students leave this course with an understanding of force and energy that forms a solid foundation for high school and college physics.