Get a free trial until June 30, 2026!
New members get full access to our science units, hands-on activities, mini-lessons, & more!

New members get a full, free trial through June 2026!
Back > Share
What can magnets do?
Invisible Forces Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
Back > Share

What can magnets do?

Invisible Forces Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
Video trouble?

DISCUSS (1 of 3):

What are some of the things you observed?

DISCUSS (2 of 3):

Was there anything that surprised you?

Why did that surprise you?

DISCUSS (3 of 3):

What are two or three questions you have about magnets that no one in your class knows the answer to?

Can you think of experiments that would help answer your questions?

Video trouble?

Demo: Once a paperclip touches a magnet and becomes a magnet itself, does a paperclip STAY that way? Or does it stop being a magnet?

Try it! (Your teacher can demonstrate this.)

Reveal answer

Video trouble?

DISCUSS: What do you think you could do with magnets that would be interesting?

There are so many possibilities. Here’s one I like: the magnetic sweeper I used in the parking lot to collect nails and sharp objects so they wouldn’t puncture holes in tires.

Slide Image
Slide Image

force


1 of 10

a push or a pull

attract


2 of 10

to pull toward
Video trouble?

repel


3 of 10

to push away, such as when two magnets with the same poles face each other
Video trouble?
Slide Image

metal


4 of 10

a type of material that is usually shiny and you cannot see through it
Slide Image

material


5 of 10

what something is made of, like metal, wood, or plastic

property


6 of 10

something you can observe about an object or material
Video trouble?

magnet


7 of 10

an object that can attract or repel certain materials, often metals
Video trouble?

magnetic


8 of 10

something that can be pushed and pulled by magnets
Video trouble?

magnetize


9 of 10

to make a material magnetic
Video trouble?
Slide Image

experiment


10 of 10

a test used to discover new information about a question
🎉 That’s it for this lesson! How did it go?
Sign up now for more great lessons!
Sign up

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration
globe by Celestia , used under CC BY
sandals by luntblog , used under CC BY
Lefka Ori mountain range by Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho , used under CC BY
nails by Andrva , used under CC BY-SA
magnet rocks by Roke , used under CC BY-SA
skyline with screws by Simon Hadleigh-Sparks , used under CC BY
Or Venezuela by Didier Descouens , used under CC BY-SA
mineral copper by Daniel Stucht , used under CC BY-SA
silver by United States Geological Survey & Mineral Information Institute
iron by Siim Sepp , used under CC BY-SA
paperclip by Brandon Baunach , used under CC BY
powder steel by Aney , used under CC BY-SA
powder steel on magnet by Aney , used under CC BY-SA
silly putty by Childhood 101 , used under CC BY
100lbs of magnetic putty by Vat19.com , used under CC BY
saftey Ink by Chris Lott , used under CC BY
ferrofluid in a bottle by Vat19.com
train by Max Talbot-Minkin , used under CC BY
dancing clip by kinchangnoodle , used under CC BY
Activity
horseshoe by Ajcann , used under CC BY-SA
bar magnet by Aney , used under CC BY-SA
Credits

Featured Reviews

“Hands on with magnets? You can't go wrong. It was a great idea to let the kids explore first! This one was a hit!”
· Debbie · Teacher
“Students enjoyed the chance to experiment with magnets. It engaged them creatively and collaboratively while giving them the requisite skills needed to begin engineering with magnets. ”
· Andrew · Teacher
“Students loved exploring with magnets! They were also amazed that the paper clip could become magnetized and act as a magnet! They loved the magnetic silly putty video. Honestly, awesome videos like this are what keeps bringing me back to Mystery Science! Thank you!”
· Gretchen · Teacher
“It was fun for the students to explore with magnets. This also had a minimal amount of prep so it was easy to implement.”
· Bessie · Teacher
“The students were amazed at the magnets and many did not know that they would attract and repel at the same time. A great lesson. They LOVED playing with the magnets.”
· · Teacher
“My kids had so much fun playing with magnets. It really spurred their creativity to see what was magnetic and what was not. This was a very memorable lesson.”
· Sarah · Homeschooler
“I like the clarity of the objectives, the simplicity of the presentation, and the thought provoking questions asked”
· Mario · Admin
“The lesson was a success! All my students were engaged and were surprised as they observed the magnetic force moving the paperclip. Thank you!”
· Fili · Teacher
“The kids really knew very little to begin with so the exploratory play was great. They particularly enjoyed the magnetised liquid video as well.”
· Mary · Admin
“playing with the magnets. One student said they would add iron fillings to oil to pick up an oil spill faster.”
· Jean · Teacher
“Excellent lesson. The kids loved playing with magnets and learning how forces can attract or deflect the magnets.”
· Debbie · Teacher
“The kids loved the experiments with the paper clips and pencils. Highly engaging. ”
· Madison · Teacher
“This was a fresh approach to magnets, which I needed. Thank you for the 3rd-grade appropriate graphic organizers. Your emphasis on experiment design was a big plus.”
· · Teacher
“My son loved playing with the magnets and he learned so much! ”
· Mindy · Homeschooler
“Students remembered doing some of the things in 1st grade, but now they understood why!”
· Carol · Teacher
“My daughter was impressed with all the things the magnets could and could not do.”
· Jennifer · Homeschooler
“The students were so thrilled about the different things they discovered about magnets and how you can make things magnetic! ”
· Shonda · Teacher
“Kids are enthralled! Really focused on experimentation.”
· Stephanie · Teacher
“I don't know!!! Maybe everything!!!! I love Mystery Science!!!! Its my favorite subject in school!!! I love doing things with magnets!!!!! PS. My name is Emily and I am in the fourth grade.:):):) ”
· Heather · Homeschooler
“The kids loved experimenting, there was heaps of discussion and everyone worked collaboratively. ”
· Jody · Teacher
“This may be one of the kids favorite lessons! ”
· Melissa · Homeschooler
“I love the prompts given....the ideas for exploration and the videos offered. My student eats this stuff up.”
· Ashley · Homeschooler
“We Loved the magnet lesson. The kids had great ideas for how they could create helpful modes of transportation and fun toys using magnets ;-)”
· Tijuanna · Homeschooler
“The magnetic forces were neat to see when we used magnets and paperclips. Also seeing the push and pull of the magnets is cool. We loved the cool trick video.”
· Dawn · Homeschooler
“Everything was presented and explained so well that my 2nd grader turned around and explained/taught everything he had just learned to his 5 & 3 year old siblings. ”
· Rachelle · Homeschooler
“The questions in the worksheet. Really got my kid thinking the way a scientist does.”
· Margaret · Homeschooler
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grade 3

Forces, Motion, & Magnets

Magnets & Forces

3-PS2-3

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students will explore the surprising properties of magnets and experiment with an invisible force that acts at a distance. In the activity, Magnet Discovery, students use ring magnets and common objects to discover the push and pull of magnets and how magnets attract certain types of metals.
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Ideas for Magnet Experiments worksheet 30 copies
Magnets Are Weird worksheet 30 copies
Magnetic Metal Items
Paper clips, staples, nails, washers, binder clips, metal bottle caps, stainless steel flatware, or anything else made of iron or steel.
Details
30 items
Non-Magnetic Metal Items
Pennies, quarters, dimes, nickels, the metal band on the end of a pencil, aluminum cans, or anything else made of aluminum, copper, silver, or gold.
Details
30 items
Non-Metal Items
Anything made of plastic, wood, glass, or paper. You can even try food items!
Details
30 items
Pencil
30 pencils
Index Cards (3x5)
60 cards
Paper Clips
120 clips
Thread
You can also use string or light ribbon.
Details
15 feet
Ring Magnets
60 magnets
Prep Instructions

Set Up Magnet Test Items

The test items should include some metals that are attracted to magnets, some metals that are not, and some non-metal items. At a minimum, students should examine one item from each of these categories. You may want to set up a test item station so that students can explore multiple items from each category.

Cut Up String

Before class, cut up the string so that each student can have some for their experiments.

Teacher Tip

Magnets are fragile, so be careful. If you smack them against each other too hard, they will break. We trust you’ll be gentle with them, but just in case, it can’t hurt to wear safety goggles.

Exploration

1 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Wrap-Up

14 mins

Grade 3

Forces, Motion, & Magnets

Magnets & Forces

3-PS2-3

Slow internet or video problems?
Credits
 
Forces Lesson 4: What can magnets do?

How did the lesson go?
Terrible OK Good Great Terrific!

How can we improve it?

If you'd like our team to reply to you, please Contact Support instead.

Thanks for your feedback! If you have a question or need help, please contact us. Please consider sharing your review:

Sorry the lesson didn’t go well. We read every single review in an effort to improve our Mysteries.

Thanks for letting us know. We’ll wait to ask you for feedback until after you've actually taught it.

Thanks for the feedback! We read every single review in an effort to improve our Mysteries.

Is the video not playing properly?

Please follow these steps:

  1. Very rarely a video will fail to completely load in your browser. Try to reload this page to see if that fixes the problem.
  2. If reloading does not help, try our other video player .
  3. If the video still fails to play, open this video in a new tab and please let us know you’re having trouble. We want to fix this issue for you.

Close

How can we help you?

💡For purchasing info, see our Pricing Page

This episode is locked

This lesson is not included in your limited access.

View pricing

This episode is locked

Your membership is expired. The archive of past Mini Lessons is not included in your limited access.

View pricing