Science Lesson Kit · Teacher Resource
Magnetic Forces — 5E Lesson Plan
Physical Science · 45 minutes
Grade 3
5E lesson flow
01
Engage
5 min
Teacher Does
Place a steel paper clip on the table. Bring a magnet close enough to move it without touching. Stop before contact and show the visible gap.
Students Do
Observe, describe what moved, and ask or say one question about how the movement happened.
Ask
- Did the magnet touch the paper clip before it moved?
- What evidence shows a force acted?
- What could we change to investigate this interaction?
Look For
Students point to motion across a visible gap and identify distance as a testable change.
02
Explore
15 min
Teacher Does
Model the fair distance test: same magnet, same steel paper clip, same direction; change only the gap. Have pairs predict, test the teacher-marked NEAR/MIDDLE/FAR gaps, and repeat any unclear result.
Students Do
Predict at each gap, test without letting the magnet touch the clip, record MOVED / DID NOT MOVE, then compare the three rows.
Ask
- What are we changing?
- What must stay the same?
- Which result should you record if the clip does not move?
- What pattern does your table show?
Look For
Students keep the setup consistent, record actual observations rather than expected answers, and notice that interaction is easier to observe at smaller gaps in their setup.
03
Explain
9 min
Teacher Does
Use the class evidence to name magnetic force. With two clearly marked magnets, show N facing S and N facing N, then connect attract and repel to the observed motion.
Students Do
Use magnetic force, attract, repel, pole, and gap to explain one distance observation and one pole-orientation demonstration.
Ask
- What does attract look like?
- What does repel look like?
- How did turning one magnet change the interaction?
Look For
Students connect vocabulary to motion and avoid saying magnets must touch.
04
Elaborate
10 min
Teacher Does
Give groups the specific object test set. Ask students to predict from prior experience, then test each object. Highlight the steel paper clip versus aluminum foil comparison. Introduce a simple box-latch problem.
Students Do
Test each specific object, report only what was observed, then sketch or point to a latch design using a magnet and a steel target.
Ask
- Which tested object showed attraction?
- Did every metal sample show attraction?
- Why is “magnets attract metal” too broad?
- How could attraction help keep a lid closed?
Look For
Students cite the steel paper clip test, do not classify by shininess, and connect attraction to a design purpose.
05
Evaluate
6 min
Teacher Does
Show an unlabeled prediction diagram with N facing S, then a simple sample distance table.
Students Do
Predict attract/repel and write or say one evidence sentence about distance.
Ask
- What evidence supports your answer?
Look For
A correct pole prediction plus a statement that refers to the tested data rather than an absolute rule.
Student goal
I can use observations and simple data to explain magnetic pushes and pulls.
Learning objectives
- Explain from observations that magnetic force can act without objects touching.
- Use pole orientation to predict when two magnets will attract or repel.
- Use test evidence to describe how distance affects an observable magnetic interaction and why specific objects should be tested instead of guessed from appearance.
Materials
- One classroom bar magnet per pair
- One steel paper clip per pair
- Ruler or teacher-prepared gap strip with near, middle, and far marks
- Second bar magnet with clearly marked N/S poles for teacher demonstration or pair work
- Small test set: steel paper clip, aluminum foil square, wooden craft stick, plastic cap
- Worksheet or science notebook
Before class
- Use classroom magnets large enough to handle safely; do not use loose high-powered magnets.
- Pretest the magnet-and-paper-clip setup. Mark three gaps that give a useful comparison for your magnets; suggested labels are NEAR, MIDDLE, FAR rather than promising one universal distance threshold.
- Clearly mark N and S on demonstration magnets. If student magnets are unlabeled, keep pole-orientation work teacher-led with the marked pair.
- Prepare one distance-test set per pair and one object-test set per group.
- Keep magnets away from electronics and magnetic storage cards.
Prior knowledge
- A force is a push or a pull.
- Students can record yes/no observations in a table and compare a simple pattern.
Vocabulary
- magnetic force
- A push or pull caused by magnetic interaction. It can act across a gap.
- attract
- To pull toward.
- repel
- To push away.
- pole
- One end of a magnet. Bar magnets are often marked north (N) and south (S).
- gap
- The space between two objects.
Differentiation
- Let students explain orally before writing; accept a labeled diagram plus one evidence sentence.
- Use the frame: “When the gap got ___, I observed ___.”
- Keep N/S orientation teacher-led if student magnets are not clearly marked.
- For support, provide a preprinted MOVED / DID NOT MOVE table and let students circle results.
- For extension, ask students to propose a second fair test that changes only magnet orientation or only distance.
Assessment
- Check whether students can identify motion across a gap as evidence of magnetic force.
- Check whether students can predict attract versus repel from a clearly marked pole diagram.
- Check whether students use the distance table as evidence and avoid claiming one exact distance works for every magnet.
- Listen for specific language such as “steel paper clip” rather than the inaccurate rule “magnets attract metal.”
Exit ticket
A north pole faces a south pole across a small gap. Predict what will happen. Then use one observation from today to explain how you know magnetic force can act without touching.
Extension
Design a simple magnetic latch for a small cardboard box. Show where the magnet and steel target would go and explain how attraction helps solve the problem.