In science class, it's all about magnetism for kindergarten as they develop and apply an understanding of the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object to analyze a design solution. The concepts woven throughout our current unit are patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models, and the interdependence of science, engineering, and technology.
So far in our classroom have discovered things that are magnetic and things that look like they are magnetic but aren't. Many students were surprised to discover that items such as coins, glass, and dry erase boards are shiny and look like they should be magnetic but they aren't. We've learned about the magnetic poles and field around Earth and also about how the magnetic poles on magnets cause the forces of attraction and repulsion to occur. We have used different kinds of magnets to experience the forces of attraction, repulsion. We have also experienced magnetic levitation and learned about maglev trains. A maglev train is a super-high-speed rail system that already exists in other parts of the world. They use magnetic levitation to operate and can reach speeds of 373 miles per hour.
Most recently our students challenged themselves to complete magnetic attraction mazes. They also completed repulsion races where they had to think of a way to use one magnet to repel another magnet across the table as quickly as possible. Wish us lots of fun as we continue to explore magnets and magnetism!
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