Learning about magnets in the classroom is a great time to have students make predictions and explore using hands-on activities. Students need to be provided the opportunity for hands-on learning in order to fully understand the concept and to develop the ability to become independent learners. With the right resources, science can be quick and easy to implement even in a time crunched schedule. We had a blast exploring magnets in my classroom using these STEM activities.
I started off the lesson by having students come to the small group table to explore the Learning Resources® Super Magnet Classroom Lab Kit. I knew that if I didn't start off with a little exploring time, students would have a hard time concentrating on the lesson at hand. And yes, the chips are magnetic!
Students had a blast using magnetic chips, magnetic marbles, magnetic wands, and everything else included in the lab kit. This kit has everything you need to explore magnets, including an activity guide.
Next, it was time to go on a classroom hunt. Each student had either a horseshoe or wand magnet for this activity. Using the recording sheet provided, students were given time to predict and then explore the results. If you do this activity, make sure you remind students what items they can't place a magnetic on!
Students were pretty amazed that the large galvanized pail was not magnetic!
Once students had a good understanding of magnets, we moved onto the STEM Magnets! Activity Set. I love that this set comes with ten activity cards with step by step directions to help build independent learners in science.
Using the recording sheet, students predicted and then reflected on what they learned from the experiment cards. This student was amazed when the car began to spin due to two north poles getting close to each other. Students were engaged and begging to complete another card. I had many students complete an experiment during indoor recess! Click "download template" button under the materials list to get the free printable.
Learning all about magnets was a blast with these hands-on STEM activities!
