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How are magnets made?

Forces & Magnets
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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5
Why are these trees such weird shapes? What do you think? Look at the pictures for clues. What else do you see in the pictures? Hint: The trees were trimmed by people.
5
Did you notice the power lines? Those carry electricity! People cut off tree branches near power lines so trees don’t get zapped like this! Electricity can make sparks, which can start fires.
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There’s always electricity flowing inside of the power lines. They’re
like tubes with electricity inside. Sometimes during storms, if the
cables break, you can see the electricity starting dangerous fires.
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4
Lightning is a form of electricity! Watch these lightning bolts in slow
motion. What shapes do you notice? After thinking about that, think
about this: If lightning hit the ground, what would it look like?
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Check it out! Lightning hit the ground in this golf course. What pattern do you notice in the grass?
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An artist is going to zap a piece of wood with electricity. What do you think it will look like when it’s zapped? (Never try this yourself.)
3
Watch as this piece of wood is zapped with electricity at its two corners. The electricity sets the wood on fire and it spreads. Check out the patterns that it makes! Look familiar?
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2
Maybe you’ve heard of electric eels before. And you may know that electricity can light up a light bulb. Here’s a strange question: Could you get an electric eel to light up a light bulb? How?
2
A scientist put a FAKE human arm in a fish tank with an electric eel. The fake arm has a lot of light bulbs inside. Watch what happens as the eel jumps up and onto the arm!
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Electricity makes cool branching patterns when it hits things. Could you invent something for lightning to hit? Hint: Electricity likes to hit metal. (It’d be dangerous to really do this, but you can pretend!)
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People have made metal suits for fun! That big round machine makes electricity, and it zaps the metal suit! (NEVER do this—t’s very, very dangerous. These people are trained scientists.)
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A band called “ArcAttack” sometimes wears metal suits. Imagine
playing a guitar while being struck by lightning! (It doesn’t hurt them,
but only because the suits are special, built to be safe!)
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How are magnets made?
Forces & Magnets
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Overview

In this mini-lesson, students dive into the fascinating world of magnets, where they learn how magnets can attract and repel, how they are made, and more!

Jump to

Exploration

5 mins

Extend this lesson

Writing

Writing

Here are some writing prompts to help students reflect on the mini-lesson. Feel free to copy and paste them into an assignment.

  1. How are magnets made?

  2. What did this lesson make you curious about? What other questions do you have about magnets?

Activity

Activity

Bonus Activity: Can you find a magnet near you? If you're at home, check the outside of your refrigerator. You'll probably find one there! Once you find a magnet, use it to explore metals. Which metals stick to the magnet and which don't? Check coins, cans, lamps, and furniture. If the magnet sticks, that means the metal is iron or steel. Your challenge is to find five metal things a magnet sticks to and five metal things that it doesn't stick to. Write a list or draw pictures of the objects you find!
Credits
 
How are magnets made?

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