Magnetic Materials: A 4th Grade Classroom Project

Gather together the following items for this project:

1. 2 magnets
2. Chalk
3. Paper clips
4. Drinking glass
5. Yarn strand
6. Sewing needles
7. Dime
8. Penny
9. Pen
10. Pencil
11. Paper
12. Rubber bands
13. Ball of saran wrap
14. Ball of aluminum foil
15. Piece of poster board
16. Marker

Follow the steps below to complete this project:

1. Create a chart on your poster board. This can be done by the teacher and placed up in a place all of the children can see it. Each of the items listed in the items needed category should be written on the poster board with a box next to it. The only two items you don't have to write on there are poster board and marker.
2. Take turns going around the room and having each student pick up one magnet. Each student will choose an object on the list to try and pick it up with the magnet.
3. Have the student proceed to the white board when they are finished and place a check mark or an x in the box to indicate whether that object responded to the magnet or not. For example, if Bobby tried to pick up a piece of yarn with the magnet and nothing happened, he would go to the poster board and put an x in the box next to the yarn.
4. Ask the children to take a look at the finished board and let you know what is similar about the objects that responded to the magnet?
5. Now hold up a magnet and explain that each magnet has two sides. One is called North and one is called South.
6. Have a student try to put two North sides of two magnets together. What happens?
7. Have a student try to put two South sides of two magnets together. What happens?
8. Have a student try to put one North and one South side together. What happens?

Review magnet facts and encourage the students to investigate this further at home. Make sure they each have a magnet and have them bring back a chart of which objects they tested at home. You can give them some examples of what to test, but let them test whatever they come across. Some suggestions could be spoons, crayons, napkins, forks, toothbrushes, etc.