[Author’s Name]
The world of science can be made really appealing to kids if they are introduced to the concept of magnets and magnetism through the use of different simple activities. The mentioned magnet activity is a cheap one and the Grade I kids can carry it out without getting messy and unclean. The curiosity of children can be stimulated by providing them with the required instruments/equipment for the completion of activity.
This magnet activity only requires three things i.e. a glass of water, paper clip and a magnet. The first step would be taking a glass full of water and dropping into it a paper clip. Along the glass side, children are then asked to try taking out the paper clip by using a magnet. The same activity can be repeated using a variety of other things instead of water glass. One of the best things that can be used instead of the glass is a tall opaque vase. In this case, the children will not be able to see the paper clip and would be challenged to navigate the hidden paper clip out of the vase. The activity may be made advanced by dropping more than one paper clip in the water glass/tall vase so that the children may get back all the paper clips one by one by using the magnet till they retrieve all the dropped paper clips. In order to let the children learn about things that are not attracted by a magnet, the teacher can drop a variety of things at the same time. This activity is best for Grade I children as it does not require complex materials to carry out. It will also help them to learn about the various magnet properties.
References
Magnets. (n.d.). Motat. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.motat.org.nz/uploads/files/magnets_teachersresource_web_september13.pdf
