Science 6-8 Earth's Magnetic Field

Essential and guiding questions:

Text-Dependent Questions:

Analyze the author’s suggestion that the Earth is like a great big magnet. What evidence in the text supports his claim?
Investigate the idea that the earth’s magnetic field protects the earth like an invisible force field. Cite evidence from the text that the
Earth has need for the protection that the magnetic field provides.
Evaluate the likelihood that the earth’s magnetic field will one day reverse. Support your ideas from the text.
Compare and contrast the earth’s magnetic field with the magnetic field lines that are created when an electromagnet is made from an iron core coiled in copper wire and attached to a battery.

Blooms taxonomy level:

Understanding

Differentiation suggestions:

Scaffolding and support for special education students, English language learners, and struggling readers:

Have a clear reading purpose to help students focus more efficiently on the information they need to extract.
Make sure students have the necessary background information before they are asked to read long texts.
Pre-teach vocabulary.
Encourage students to read about the topic beforehand, or discuss it at home with their parents.
Have students predict the information they will find out in the text.
Have students predict the vocabulary they will meet in the text.
Remind students of the importance of looking at headings, diagrams, and illustrations and their captions.

Interdisciplinary opportunities:

How this task supports the content standards for relevant subject area courses in this grade band:

This article is appropriate for the 8th grade science course.

GLE 0807.12.3 Compare and contrast the Earth’s magnetic field to that of a magnet and an electromagnet.
SPI 0807.12.3 Distinguish among the Earth’s magnetic field, a magnet, and the fields that surround a magnet and an Electro-magnet.

Originator: