Center Focus

Magnet Fishing

  1. You will need rulers (or sticks), magnets, string, and a good assortment of objects, some magnetic, some non-magnetic.
  2. Students will make a "fishing rod" by attaching the string to the ruler and then the magnet to the end of the string.
  3. Students should first hypothesize as to which objects they think will stick to the magnet and which they think won't. Have the students write their guesses down.
  4. They will create a chart where they can record the objects, their guesses, and the actual results of their tests.
  5. Then they will fish for objects that stick to the magnet. They should place all of the objects in one bin and run their tests.
  6. Have students make conclusions about the properties of magnets based on their results.