TOOLS FOR EVERDAY APPROACHES TO SCIENCE: A MODEL CURRICULUM OF MAGNETISM AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT

Magnetism is something we encounter everyday, most often without realizing the nature and value of this natural phenomenon. The purpose of this research was to take students through a journey of physical and geological science; from theory to inquiry, utilizing advanced technology to enhance our research. Without realizing, the students developed their own understanding of magnetism, through teacher-led inquiry, to the final outcome of this curriculum model. The study begins with gaining an understanding of the concepts of magnetism pertaining to the earth's magnetic field. Focusing on what can be learned by studying the physical properties of this natural science can yield a vast understanding of the properties of our earth and the universe in which we live. In this research, students initially predicted the magnetic properties of a group of materials and then explored and tested the materials and their hypotheses. The process of this study began with the science of physical materials, progressed through magnetism within a controlled environment, and then onto the exploration of that which can be found using near state-of-the-art magnetic technology for geo-archeological subsurface imaging at Sunwatch Indian Village in Dayton, Ohio. The following details the sequence of our discovery and the activities involved.