Magnet inquiry

In class we investigated what materials attract magnets. For the formative assessment we hypothesized which materials, including several metals, would break the magnetic pull between a magnet and a paper clip.

We then tested about 12 materials and only the piece of iron broke the pull between the clip and the magnet. We all clearly had misconceptions about what metals attract magnets. (Perhaps this is why I always feel so uninformed after I leave class.)

Then we discussed what other inquires we could conduct with magnets. Again we had several misconceptions about how magnetism works and how the magnetism can be transferred to other objects allowing them to become magnets.

For awhile the inquiry part seemed like a magic show. We were all wowed when the paper clip became a magnet and attracted another paper clip on its own. I think we were all inspired to ask additional questions and wanted to know more about how magnets work. After conducting the experiment I know I understand why magnets don’t always stick to certain appliances. I’m not sure what I thought before but I am sure that I did not realize that magnets are only attracted to certain metals. In fact I wanted to understand even more about how magnets are created. According to the ehow websites:

“Certain metals have a structure that allows their electrons to more easily line up and form a magnetic field. Iron, nickel, cobalt and gadolinium are the easiest to magnetize. Metals like aluminum and copper can be magnetized also, but the magnetic fields they produce are very weak. Oxides and alloys that have iron in them can also be magnetized easily, such as rust and steel. The more electrons in a metal that can be lined up, the stronger the magnetic field they produce.”

 
I think the inquiry-based lesson allowed us to see that what is learned during an inquiry lesson is more transferrable and therefore stays with us longer (hopefully). It also piques our interests and motivates us to use higher order thinking skills to think through the initial question and then create more questions about the topic we are investigating.