This simple yet elegant activity is adapted from the FOSS Magnetism and Electricity kit and book. In this activity, students discover what materials attract a magnet and which don’t.
magnet – a substance which has a magnetic field and is able to attract iron and steel
magnetic pole – one of the ends of a magnet where the field of the magnet is most intense
magnetic field – the area around a magnet in which magnetism can affect other objects
attract – to draw by a physical force
repel – to act with a force that drives something away
Prepare a bag of common objects for each group. Whatever you have available should work. Try to include several metal items that do not have any iron (like aluminum foil).
Possible items to include:
Students should use braillewriters rather than braillenotes for this activity if possible. It may be necessary to gather enough braillewriters for the class if many of your students use braillenotes.
Pass out a magnet to each student. Begin by having students determine what their magnet can stick to without leaving their seats.
Discussion: What did the magnets stick to? Share ideas about what is similar about the items that stick to the magnet
Pick up the magnets before the following activity.
Give each student or lab group a bag full of common objects. More independent groups of students may work alone while younger students and less independent students should work as groups of two.
Introduce the bags to the students as follows: We will be looking at various objects in today’s lab. They might stick to a magnet or they might not. You’ll first be composing a hypothesis before testing the magnets. Based on your experience in the past with magnets and the warm up activity, compose two lists of items. This should be done using a braillewriter for braille students so that this list can be easily accessed while looking at your results later. Students should separate the groups into the two tubs first and then make the lists.
Once all of the students (or groups) have composed their lists, tell students that it is time to complete the experiment and give each student a magnet.
Explain to the students that there are certain materials that magnets stick to, namely ferromagnetic materials. Investigate the metals that make up this group of materials.
3rd Grade:
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
Electric and magnetic forces between a pair of objects do not require that the objects be in contact. The sizes of the forces in each situation depend on the properties of the objects and their distances apart and, for force between two magnets, on their orientation relative to each other. (3-PS2-3),(3-PS2-4)
By Laura Hospitál
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