Lesson 5

Magnets

Objectives:

• Students know that objects may be moved be being pushed and pulled with magnets.

• Students will participate in repeated observational investigations.

Time Required:

• Two-one hour sessions 

Vocabulary:

• magnet
• attract
• propel
• push
• pull

Materials:

• Magnets

• Different magnetic and nonmagnetic items such as screws, marbles, paper, rubber bands, buttons, coins, washers, paper clips, toothpicks, cotton balls, etc. to test

• Nonbreakable bowl

• Sorting Sheet

• Performance Evaluation

• Magnet Book Pattern

• Computer

• Software with clip art

• Story:  What Makes a Magnet? by: Franklyn Mansfield Brnaley and True Kelley

Advanced Preparation:.

• Students must have prior knowledge of magnetism.

• Have materials and colored water ready along with sorting sheet.

• Place students in pairs or small groups of 3-4 students.

• Have patterns ready for students to make book.

Procedures

• Give each pair of students a bowl of magnetic and nonmagnetic items and a sorting sheet.
• Students will sort the items in the bowl onto the sorting sheet, placing the items that they predict will be attracted by a magnet under "Yes" and all others under "No."  Then give students a magnet and have them take turns testing their predictions.
• Once students are done testing all their items, come as a whole class and discuss their results.  Discuss why were certain items attracted to the magnets and why some were not.
• Students will make a magnet book.  Use aluminum foil and red construction paper for the cover.   On each page have students draw a picture of an item they tested or they can tape an actual item on each page.  Students will then write or type using any word processing program "Do I attract?"  and the answer "Yes" or "No."

Evaluation:

• Use the Student Performance Evaluation for each student.

Extension Activity:

• Allow students to take the magnets around the classroom and find other objects that are attracted to a magnet.  Have students look through any clip art program for the items they found were attracted to the magnets and print out their results.

• Students can color a magnet coloring sheet online.

Home Learning:

• Allow students to take a magnet home and find other objects around their house that are attracted to magnets.  Have them draw a picture and write a sentence about their findings.

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