Passing Magnetism
Can a magnet attract iron through glass, cardboard or wood?
Objectives:
Students count, collect data and chart comparisons.
Prior Knowledge: Counting to 100, Greater than/less than, charts and just a little about magnets.
Materials:
Several materials of almost the same thickness:
Procedure:
Put all the paper clips in a pile. Pick up as many clips as possible with the magnet. Move them aside where they can be counted by the students. Students record the number. Now ask them if they think a magnet can pass through a wooden ruler. Lift up as many clips as can be held and move them aside to be counted. On the next line the students record the quantity held by the magnetic field passing through wood. Fill in the blanks in the remaining lines with the other materials. Chart the results. The students can verbally compare how each material changed the quantity. The uncovered magnet will clearly lift the most and the materials affect the strength to different degrees. Ask them to write down the sentences they say. Ask them to read what they wrote and write a conclusion. Depending on student interest you could ask for a second draft.
Close to centers:
Ask the students to arrange the clips to maximize the number that can be held. Let the students repeat the trials (supervise the glass jar). Relate the experience to others about magnets. Allow the students to test other materials.
Weather | Pets | Magnets | Plants | Rocks | Colors | Dinosaurs | Experiments | Static | Oceans