GR. 2 SCIENCE UNIT

Lessons

1: Clinger
2: Picky Eater
3: Stuck on You
4: Let's Make a Magnet
5: Strong or Weak
6: North Pole! South Pole!
7: Attracts or Repels?
8: Who Am I?
9: Are We Attracted to Each Other?
10: Passing Through
11: Making a Compass

Magic Magnets Student Booklet WORD or PDF Format

LESSON 10 - PASSING THROUGH

Background: In the first part of this lesson children will explore the idea that magnets pass through most materials. In the second part, students will discuss advantages and disadvantages of this.

Objective: Magnets will work through most materials.

Quick Peek:

This lesson will provides a practical lesson for the children : magnets can erase cassette tapes, erase videos and affect film. (Activity 9, 15, page 212 Curriculum guide)

Materials:

• thin sheets of paper, plastic, glass, aluminum foil, cloth, wood, tin, rubber,
  cardboard, steel, styrofoam, etc.
• cassette tape and recorder/player
• bag of iron filings

Method:

1. Record a song on a cassette tape.

2. Place one of the thin pieces of materials in styrofoam trays, one cow magnet, one bag of iron filings from previous lessons. With a marker. Label the name of the material in that tray so students can copy the name on their observation sheets should they need help with spelling.

3. Place the trays on the floor around the room so that the students can get to them by moving in a clockwise direction.

4. Hold up a piece of styrofoam and flashlight. Ask the children if they think the flashlight will shine through the styrofoam. Test the prediction. Now do the same with a sheet of plastic. Bring out the idea that light will work shine or ``work`` through some materials but not through others. Ask students if they think magnets are like light. Will they work through some materials? (Responses will be guesses at this time.)

5. Tell the students that they will be working in pairs.

6. Students are asked to place the bag of iron filings on the sheet of material. With one person holding the sheet, the other should move the magnet around while it is touching the underside of the sheet of material.

7. The rotational pattern and station change should be clarified.

8. Pair the students.

9. Distribute observation record sheets and explain how to record their findings.

10. Students rotate from station to station.

11. In a class discussion ask students to share their observations. Elicit the idea that the magnet will work through all the materials. Now ask students in they think that the thickness of the material will have an effect on the magnet.

12. Challenge the students to try a few different thicknesses of materials such as a wooden table or encourage them to use a combination of the different materials provided in the trays.

13. Students will report and discuss their findings.

14. Ask students why they think the iron may not be a good material for this experiment.

15. Next tell the children that you have something magic to show them. Play the song that you recorded earlier.

16. Rub the cassette tape with a cow magnet, making sure to expose the tape to the magnet.

17. Play the song again. It should be erased. This can also be demonstrated by a computer disk. Discuss the implications of this in real life. (Passing home video cassettes in the screening system in airports, storing cassettes disks videos near magnets, etc.)

18. Students complete their student activity record in their Magic Magnets book. On the next page, there a model that could be used with children who need help.

Lesson Ten Passing Through

What I did :
I tested to see if magnets work through different materials.

What I saw . . .
The magnet made the iron filings work through all the materials.
It did not work as well through thick materials.

What I Learned . . .
Magnets work through things.

I wonder . . .
Students will write a few questions that they may have about the magnets.

Assessment: Informal observation and written work.

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies (North Pole, South Pole)