The big ideas being that magnets can create a push or a pull. Essentially, attraction and repulsion. We like big scientific words! Opposite poles attract and the same poles repel.
The children tested the strengths of magnets and their ability to pass through various materials such as glass, plastic, wood and sand.
They also magnetized scissors by carefully rubbing a bar magnet along the length of the metal ends. They tested their made magnets by picking up paper clips with them!
We also did a pretty cool compass experiment and learned about how the earth is like a giant magnet. We made our own compass by magnetizing a paper clip and floating it in water with foam ends. We marked the end pointing north with a marker and tested it again. Sure enough, no matter which direction we placed the 'needle', it would rotate and point north.
The favourite experiment had to be the floating magnets. Two donut magnets placed on a pencil with the same poles facing each other was a great visual to show the invisible force created. The children could physically feel the two magents pushing away from each other.
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