One suggestion is to conduct different investigations with the same data set. Glenn and his fourth graders focused on changes in the Earth s magnetic field with respect to location. High school students might, on the other hand, investigate a more complex problem such as characterizing the fluctuations of the Earth s magnetic field over time. Challenging Student Data Glenn consciously decides not to challenge student data from the magnetism experiment. As the story progresses, Glenn expresses concern that students are not reevaluating their own data.
Students are clearly engaged and on-task.
Variables Teachers who read drafts of this story noted the instructional emphasis on understanding variables and experimental design. As the fourth graders communicated with students and teachers at other schools, they explored experimental differences caused by using different kinds of threads, needles and magnets. They also identified magnetic phenomena that could interfere with their experiment.