Unit 1C: Sorting and using materials Section 7: Magnetic and non-magnetic objects
Objectives
Children should learn:
that some materials are magnetic but most are not
to think about which objects they expect to be attracted to a magnet
to make observations, communicate what happened, and with help, use results to draw conclusions saying whether their predictions were right
Activities
Outcomes
Children:
Give children some magnets to explore eg fishing game, fridge magnets, 'wand' magnets to catch their attention, and ask them to explore what objects are attracted to, or 'stick to', a magnet. Group objects by magnetic or non-magnetic behaviour. Present children with a range of objects, ask them to predict whether they will be attracted to a magnet, to test their predictions and make a record of what happened.
identify some objects that are attracted to a magnet
predict which objects will be attracted to a magnet and say whether they were right
recognise that objects that are attracted to magnets are made of metal but that not all metal objects are attracted
Points to note
Children need plenty of time to explore the magnets before they start grouping.
At this stage children should learn that iron is attracted to a magnet but other metals and other materials are not attracted.
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activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
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