A Science Lesson on Magnets

This lesson provides students with a hands-on activity for investigating magnets. Students will learn about the attraction and repulsion of magnetic poles. Questions are provided for students to predict prior to investigating. Teachers can assess student understanding as the lesson progresses. Extensions are included for additional activities. This resource is provided by AIMS Education Foundation. The highlights of this lesson include students participation and questioning skills. Students can work individually or  in small groups helping each other. Prior to this activity students should have time to experiment with magnets to determine their properties. As an extra activity have students design their own investigation and share in groups. Students may feel that this is a magical experiment, explaining how magnets attract and repel is an important concept for their understanding.

Weblink address (URL): 
A Science Lesson on Magnets

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

Concept : 

Like poles of magnets repel each other while opposite poles attract. The repelling force is stronger than the force of gravity for the ring magnets.

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding
Extension suggestions: 

Extension/Integration :

  • Use a long dowel rod to float all available magnets from the class and observe what happens.
  • Do the same as the first extension activity, but measure the space between the magnets on top and the space between the magnets near the bottom.
  • Observe the differences and discuss them.
  • Ask students for ideas on how the floating magnets could be useful in society, industry, or technology.
  • For an art activity, have students make puppets that will stand up on the top floating magnet. Also, these puppets could then be used for a puppet show.

Helpful Hints

Student Materials :

  • ring magnets (2 or more per student)
  • pencils or dowel rods (1 per student)
  • optional clay (enough to keep each pencil upright)
  • floating magnets worksheet (or some other sheet upon which students can draw how the magnets stick together on the pencil, how they float, and what it looks like when the pencil is filled with magnets) (one per student)

References

Contributors: 
Rhilda Gastineau
Originator: 
Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation