Magnets

Magnets are something everyone in the class is familiar with.  The children see magnets at home all the time.  We took time this week to get to know magnets more and learn a bit more about how they work.

What does it mean to attract?  A simple experiment was done to show how a paperclip on a string can interact with a magnet wand.  At a certain point, the paperclip moves toward the wand.  We talked briefly about the force of a magnet and how it is invisible.

In doing this, the children could feel the effect of the magnet on the paperclip.  They couldn't see the force of the magnetic field, but they could sense it was there.  We talked about the word "attract" and experienced it in person!

Here are the children's drawings of their experience.

How have you used magnets at home?