New Fairfield Public Schools

Sixth grade students are linking science content standards to engineering practices in STEAM classes this fall. They begin their exploration of magnetism by creating and experimenting with magnetic slime to observe its unique magnetic properties. They then test a variety of materials to determine which ones possess magnetic qualities. Building on this foundation, students investigate static electricity through hands on activities and demonstrations with a Van de Graaff generator. The unit continues with an introduction to current electricity, where students construct simple circuits to understand how electric current flows. This culminates with an engineering design challenge in which students apply what they have learned to design and build their own working flashlight.