Magnetic Circusfor 2nd grade

6 Demonstrations for 2nd Grade Students• Find the pole• Levitating magnets• Magnetic maze• Fishing with magnets• Floating Magnet Mystery• Magnetic Motion Boat

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Activity Guide• Challenge: look at the Challenge. Discuss what it means to

create a toy that moves without electricity or batteries. (5-10 minutes)

• Generate Ideas and Multiple Perspectives (instructor choice)• Research and Revise (and Test Your Mettle)

– Activity 1: demonstrate all 6 of the magnetic circus stations OR divide your students into 6 groups and let them rotate to each station while they complete the activities. Strongly suggest that you have assistants for each station. (24-30 minutes – about 4-5 minutes per station

– Activity 2: go over the discussion questions. (5-10 minutes)• Go Public: revisit the challenge (10 – 15 minutes, or instructor

decides timing) to allow discussion and “building” opportunities.

Teacher Tips• This activity is meant to be set up as 6 separate stations.

– The teacher can present each station as a demonstration with the class traveling to each station as it is presented.

– The teacher can also divide the class into 6 groups and allow the groups to participate in 6 hands-on activities; strongly suggested that helpers (older students, or parents, or volunteers) one per station is on hand and can explain the demonstration.

• It is helpful to practice with the magnets before presenting the demonstrations.– Finding the poles can be tricky and requires holding the magnet with

the known poles at an angle to the “unknown” magnet.– The Floating Magnet Mystery requires patience, but truly looks like a

mystery.• You will need to fill the pitcher for the Magnetic Motion Boat

with 2 liters of water before the activities begin.

Teacher Prep• Obtain materials - in 2nd grade cabinets – see next page. • Prepare demonstrations - one each at 6 tables:

– Find the pole– Levitating magnets– Magnetic maze– Fishing with magnets– Floating Magnet Magic– Magnetic Motion Boat

• Give each student a copy of “Magnet Worksheet” and a pencil• Note that answers to the problems or further notes are found

in the notes section found in presentation mode of this PowerPoint.

Materials for all demonstrationsThese are stored in bins in drawers.

Image of all materials on next page

• 24 copies “Magnets Worksheet” stored in lower left filing drawer in mechanical room

• 24 pencils

Finding the poles:• 1 magnet with north and south marked• 1 bar magnet• 1 ring magnet• 1 disc magnet

Levitating magnets:• 4 ring magnets with green dots• 1 piece of ½-inch PVC• 1 2-inch ball of clay

Magnetic Maze:• 1 maze laminated to cardstock• 1 bar magnet• 1 small piece of metal

Magnetic Fishing:• Fishing pole – pencil with a ring magnet tied one end• Plastic container filled with:

– Plastic balls– Pennies– Pieces of aluminum foil– Paper clips– Washers– Nuts– Pieces of cardboard– Marbles

Floating Magnet Mystery• 1 paper clip attached to 12-inch piece of nylon thread• 1 bar magnet (the unmarked black magnets work great)

Magnetic Motion Boat:• 1 12-inch plastic bowl • 1 sheet foam core with 8 sheet rock anchors in a circle• 8 ring magnets with red dots• 1 ping pong ball with disc magnet glued on bottom• 1 plastic jug with 2 liters of water in it

Image of all materials

Location of All MaterialsDrawer 1a1 contents:• Ring magnets marked with red dots and green dots• Ring magnet - unmarked• Bar magnets, ceramic, unmarked• “Fishing” pole – pencil with ring magnet attached with string• Box of 2 bar magnets, marked with North and South poles• Paper clip with thread attached• Ping pong ball with ring magnet glued on bottom• Mechanical pencils• Ball of modeling clayDrawer 1a3 contents:• Pitcher to carry water• Box of magnetic and non-magnetic objects

Drawer 1a4 contents:• Laminated maze• 12-inch shallow white plastic dish• Foam core with 8 sheet-rock anchors attached

Magnet Worksheet:• Stored in file cabinet in equipment room lower left as

you walk in the door

1a1

1a3

1a4

Worksheet

Challenge

• The circus is in town. • They need toys that do not use electricity or

batteries.• They asked your class to make toys for them.• Use magnets to make a toy that moves

without using electricity or batteries.

Guiding Question

• What is a magnet and what does it do?– What are poles in a magnet?– What does repel mean?– What does attract mean?– What is a magnet field?

Activity 1 – Rotate to the stations of the magnetic circus (24-30 minutes)

• Finding the poles• Levitating Magnets• Magnetic Maze• Magnetic Fishing• Floating Magnet Mystery• Magnetic Motion Boat

Finding the poles

Materials• 1 magnet with north and south marked• 1 bar magnet• 1 disc magnet• 1 ring magnet

Test disc magnet• Lay the disc magnet down flat on the table.• Holding the labeled magnet at a slight angle to the table, push the

North end toward the top side of the disc magnet. What happened?• Again holding the labeled magnet at a slight angle to the table, push

the South end toward the top side of the disc magnet. What happened?

• Label the location of the disc magnet poles on your worksheet – question 1.

Test ring magnet• Lay the ring magnet down on the table.• Holding the labeled magnet at a slight angle to the table, push

the South end toward the top side of the ring magnet. What happened?

• Holding the labeled magnet at a slight angle to the table, push the North end toward the top side of the ring magnet. What happened?

• Label the location of the ring magnet poles on your worksheet – question 1.

Test the bar magnet• Lay the bar magnet down on its widest side.• Holding the labeled magnet at a slight angle to the table, push

the South toward the top side of the bar magnet. What happened?

• Holding the labeled magnet at a slight angle to the table, push the North toward the same top side of the bar magnet. What happened?

• Label the location of the bar magnet poles on your worksheet – question 1.

Levitating Magnets

Materials• 4 ring magnets with

green dots on one side

• 3/4-inch diameter piece of PVC pipe, the “post”

• 1, 2-inch ball of clay

Set Up

• Stick ball of clay to table.• Stick PVC in clay

perpendicular to the table.

Add magnets to post

• Place magnets on post by sliding magnets over the post. Start sticker side up.

• Make sure that the magnets are placed sticker side to sticker side; plain side to plain side.– All the same poles are marked with

stickers.• What makes the magnets “levitate”?• What are these forces called?

Discuss what happened? And why?

• What happened with the ring magnets when you pushed North poles against North poles?

• What is this force called?• So if you put a ring magnet with its North pole

facing the North pole of another ring magnet, what will happen?

• If these magnets are forced to stay on top of one another, what do they do?

• Answer question 2 on your worksheet.

Magnetic Maze

Materials• 1 maze laminated to

cardstock• 1 bar magnet – the

black bar magnets work well

• 1 small piece of metal

Hold the maze so that it faces students

Hold the metal at the start line in front of the maze.

Place magnet in back of maze near the start line so that it holds the metal in place.

Manipulate magnet so that metal travels through maze.

How does this work? Is it magic?

• What kept the metal piece on the maze?– Answer the question 3 on your worksheet.

• Would this have worked with a plastic piece?

Fishing with magnetsMaterials• Fishing pole – pencil with

ring magnet tied to one end• Plastic container filled with:– Plastic balls– Pennies– Pieces of aluminum foil– Paper clips– Washers– Nuts– Pieces of cardboard– marbles

Open the plastic container with magnetic and non-magnetic items inside.

Use fishing pole to “fish” in the container.• Discuss what the

magnet “caught,” what it could not “catch,” and why.

• What is an easy way to see if an object contains metal/iron?

• Answer question 4 on your worksheet.

If the aluminum got “caught” by the fishing pole, what really was holding it in place? Is a magnet attracted to aluminum?

Floating Magnet Mystery

Materials• 1 paper clip tied to a

12-inch piece of nylon thread

• 1 ceramic bar magnet

Wrap loose end of thread around your finger leaving about 6-inches of thread

between you and the paper clip.

- Float the magnet over the paper clip until it is attracted to the magnet, but not attached to it. - Force the paper clip to float in space.

How did this work?

• What forces kept the paper clip in the air?• Answer question 5 on your worksheet.

Magnetic Motion BoatMaterials• 1 12-inch plastic bowl • 1 sheet foam core with

8 sheet rock anchors in a circle

• 8 ring magnets with red stickers on one side

• 1 ping pong ball “boat” with disc magnet glued on bottom

• 1 plastic jug filled with 2 liters of water.

Set up magnetic pool• Place ring magnets on sheet rock anchors so

that all the stickers are facing down.• Place bowl in center and ½ fill with water.

Place ping pong ball in center of water with magnet side down

Flip one magnet over• What happens? Why?

Flip the same magnet back over• What happens? Why?

Try different configurations of magnets• See if you can make the ball move from one

side of the bowl all the way to the other side.

What made the ball move in the water?

• Did anyone touch the ball to make it move?• What do you call forces that made the ball

move?• Answer question 6 on your worksheet

Activity 2 - Discussion

• If you had several objects and you wanted to find out if they were magnetic, what would you do to test this?

• If you had a magnet with North and South Poles marked and several unmarked magnets that the teacher asked you to label with North and South poles, how could you do this?

Go Public – Revisit ChallengeChallenge:• The circus is in town. • They need toys that do not use electricity

or batteries.• They asked your class to make toys for

them.• Use magnets to make a toy that moves

without using electricity or batteries.

Vocabulary

• Magnet – an object that attracts certain materials, such as metal or iron.

• Repel – to push away• Attract – to pull toward• Magnetic field – the area around a magnet where

the force of the magnet can attract or repel another magnet or a piece of steel/iron.

• Pole (on a magnet) – the place on a magnet where the forces are concentrated – the strongest part of the magnet.