Whether on our fridge, holding up papers on a whiteboard, or in preschool playrooms, our students are interacting with magnets from a young age. But how do they work!? Here are 5 fun ways to teach 3rd graders about magnets.
️ 1. Magnetism Labs in a Snap
If you’re following the 5E Model, labs are a great way to Engage your learners with the material before we get into all of the details of magnetism. This lab is great for the Engage stage!
I start off by giving my kids a bin of objects and a magnet. Students then figure out which objects are magnetic and which are not. You can do this on your own with any random objects from your classroom, or use our Labs in a Snap resource, which includes the lab, lesson plans, and student sheets all ready for you!
Magnetism Labs in a Snap also includes two additional labs suited to the Exploration and Elaboration steps of the 5E model.
Your students will also enjoy testing the strength of magnets and how liquids impact a magnet’s strength!
“This is one of my favorite labs to do with my students! They love anything to do with magnets and these labs added another level of depth that engaged them incredibly: super easy-to-follow directions and easily accessible materials.” – Patricia H.
See it on TPT: Magnets Labs in a Snap
2. Magnets STEM Design
Build your own self-latching container using magnets.
READ a short text on magnets and magnetism.
BUILD a self-latching container.
IMPROVE the design through testing.
EVALUATE their knowledge of the magnets and magnetism.
EXPLAIN how magnets improve our lives.
See it in the Free Resource Library.
3. Teaching Slides and Notes
Direct instruction helps students understand the concepts they are exploring.
“Love this resource! Appealing for kids and love the embedded opportunities to check for understanding!”
4. Magnetism & Mass Investigation Design
Guide your students through designing a simple descriptive investigation to determine the magnetism and mass of everyday objects.
“Great resource! My students loved the hands-on activities and that they were able to use concepts that we were learning.” -Crystal
See it on TPT: Investigation Design
5. Magnetic or Nonmagnetic Sort
Teams review by sorting 27 examples of magnetic and non-magnetic materials.
“I loved getting to use our creative freedom with this resource! We played games with the cards, did a relay, etc. It was so fun and easy to use!” -Caitlyn
See it on TPT: Magnetism Sort
Top Teaching Tools for Elementary Magnets
Our Science Penguin materials provide thoughtfully designed labs, lesson plans, and student materials made for you to save you time. Click the pictures below to get them for your classroom!
