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Everyday Machines / Week 07 / Friday
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Week 07 · Magnets at Home

Friday

Explain the magnet
// A pull you can feel but not see
⏱ about 15 min

Friday: Explain the Magnet

Rocket sets out a notebook and a crayon.

"Today we explain magnets to the whole family," he says.

Raven holds up the fridge drawing. "Start with what you noticed."

Nova dims her light. "I will listen. You do the telling."

What we learned

  • A magnet pulls on iron and steel.
  • Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole.
  • Different poles attract. Like poles repel.
  • The pull reaches through paper and other things.
On paper, draw a fridge door cutaway. Show the seal and the hidden magnet.
HOW A FRIDGE DOOR SHUTS
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
EXPLAIN IT
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Why does a magnet stick to a fridge?
Two magnets push apart. Which poles met?
Can a magnet pull a clip through a sheet of paper?

Tell a grown-up

Try it
Find a grown-up.
Show your cutaway drawing.
Explain how the fridge door shuts.
Use the words pole, attract and repel.
SentenceTrue or false?
A magnet has two poles.?
A magnet pulls on plastic.?
A north pole and a south pole attract.?
A magnet needs to touch steel to pull it.?
WHY THIS EXERCISESaying it in your own words shows you understand it.
For a grown-up
Ask: what does the magnet pull on?
Ask: what happens with two like poles?
Tomorrow is Machine Day: a family magnet hunt.
OUR MAGNET WEEK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
On Monday we found magnets at home. Where was one?
On Thursday we tested the pull through what?
What does a magnet NOT pull on?
SentenceTrue or false?
Steel is made from iron.?
The pull is strongest in the middle of a magnet.?
A fair test changes one thing at a time.?
WHY THIS EXERCISELooking back helps the ideas stick.

You explained a magnet in your own words. Amazing!

Next week, we find out how the fridge stays cold.

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