Teaching About Variables in Magnetism to Fifth and Sixth Graders

Middle school students are very familiar with using computers, but many are unaware of how a computer stores information. We develop a module to explain how computers store and retrieve information from a hard drive. The module was part of the yearlong NSF GK-12 outreach program between Drexel University and local Philadelphia middle schools. The module complements the variables portion of their science and math curriculum. The module introduces magnetism as well as the link between the physical state of a hard drive and the picture on the screen. This module and others have contributed to improvements both in their classes and on their benchmark exams.