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Watch this video of a chain reaction. How do the parts work together? Can you spot the magnets? How can you tell where they are?
Here's a tip: There are steel marbles and glass marbles. Look for places where the steel marbles do something unexpected because they're interacting with a magnet.
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Other
Various Beetle Videos and Images by
Joseph D.M. White
“Several students who don't normally excel at academic work did excel in this activity. They were more successful than the usual highest achieving students. This gave these guys quite a lot of happiness and pride, and they enthusiastically answered the class's questions about how they did it, how they solved their problems, etc.”
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Lia
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“Great lesson really allows the students to be creative and go through that engineering process. ”
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Traci
·
Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“Great lesson! Students loved exploring the properties of magnets with this hands on project. ”
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Shelley
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“My students loved this mystery and the fun of making a secret door. It wrapped up our learning about magnets perfectly.”
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Beth
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“My students loved it! So did I!! Super easy to follow, engaging, and the students learned so much!”
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Sundra
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“Students really had to work hard, think, and collaborate to make their door latch.”
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Karen
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The investigation activity was great! Being able to watch the kids design and try their designs was awesome!”
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Teliesha
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The students were extremely engaged and excited by the exploration. Magnets were very fun and the discussions that our class had were thoughtful. The video explorations and then the posed questions were very appropriate for 3rd grade. This was a super unit to kick of the year with!”
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Sarah
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Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The step by step process of building the door and then giving them inspiration for the lock was really great! My kids really loved it and had a great time!”
In this lesson, students investigate magnetic attraction and repulsion. In the activity, Invent a Magnetic Lock, students apply their scientific ideas about magnets to create a useful product: a magnetic lock that can open a paper door. Students engage in the engineering design process to test and improve their designs.
Each student will first make a paper door using cardstock, scissors, and a post-it note. Then, students will design a lock for their door using a magnet, paperclip, paper fastener, stickers, and index cards. You may want to sort your materials into two piles for easier distribution.
Be Prepared for Some Troubleshooting
In this activity, students are asked to create something new -- an essential part of the engineering process, but one that may confuse or frustrate them. Below are some of the more common difficulties we found during our own testing, and the solutions we came up with.
Brads won’t puncture paper: Students may have trouble puncturing the paper with the brad. If this happens, use a sharp pencil to poke a small hole in the paper, then insert the brad.
Items won’t turn on the brad: The hole probably isn’t big enough. Twist the brad in a full circle a few times to enlarge the hole.
The magnet doesn’t make the lock move: Every lock will work differently, but it’s typically friction that causes this problem. If a piece of your lock is supposed to move, be sure it can move easily. If it’s attached too tightly, your magnet may not be able to move it.
Pieces keep getting stuck against one another:
If your lock keeps getting stuck, try rounding the edges of the moving parts.
If the lock is getting stuck because a piece of paper is bending the wrong way, you can make the paper stiffer by folding it and adding stickers or paper clips to hold it together.
Walls keep falling down: If you need help getting your wall to stay up, clip the 1-inch fold on the back to a clipboard, or slide it under the edge of a heavy book.