Third Grade · Science · week 5

What do magnets grab?

Investigate which everyday materials are attracted to a magnet, mainly objects containing iron or steel, and which are not, such as most other metals, plastic, and wood.

Magnets do not attract everything; they mainly attract objects made of iron or steel (and a couple of other less common metals, like nickel and cobalt). Many people assume "if it is metal, a magnet will grab it," but that is not true.

Aluminum foil, copper wire, and most coins are metal, yet none of them are attracted to a regular magnet, because they do not contain iron or steel. Non-metal materials like wood, plastic, glass, and paper are not attracted to magnets either.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Go on a real magnet scavenger hunt around the kitchen or house together, testing at least six different objects.
  • Record results in two columns, "attracted" and "not attracted," as you go.
  • Ask before each test: "is this made of iron or steel, or something else?" to build the prediction habit.
  • Celebrate any surprising result, like a coin or foil not sticking, as a genuine scientific discovery, not a mistake.
Talk about it:
  • Were you surprised by anything that did NOT stick to the magnet?
  • What do the things that DID stick have in common?
  • Why is "it is made of metal" not a good enough reason to predict a magnet will grab something?

Mastery looks like: They correctly predict and test whether common materials are attracted to a magnet and can state that magnets mainly attract iron and steel.

Common stumbles: Overgeneralizing that all metals are magnetic, when only iron, steel, and a few other specific metals actually are.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Science for this learner.
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