Magnets and Us
What would our lives be like if there were no magnets?
Summary

Magnets are a part of our lives that we mostly take for granted. They are everywhere, and we use it for basic things that, in this 21st Century, we consider essential in our lives. What would our lives be without them? Is it possible to live without magnets? What influence do they have in our lives? Where do they come from anyway?

In this project, we will explore magnets, where they are found, their nature, how to make magnets, how to find out their magnetic field, how to make a compass, how to build a simple electromagnet, how to build simple and parallel circuits, how to make toys, and last but not least, we will take scientific notes in the form of a journal to document our discoveries and pass it on to others who still do not know about magnets and their uses. We will observe scientifically, make predictions, conduct trials, construct graphs, all of these following instructions, and making our own as well.
California Content Standards
Science
Grade Four
Physical Sciences
SCI.4.1 Electricity and magnetism are related effects that have many useful applications in everyday life.
SCI.4.1.b. Students know how to build a simple compass and use it to detect magnetic effects, including Earth's magnetic field.
SCI.4.1.c. Students know electric currents produce magnetic fields and know how to build a simple electromagnet.
SCI.4.1.d. Students know the role of electromagnets in the construction of electric motors, electric generators, and simple devices, such as doorbells and earphones.
SCI.4.1.f. Students know that magnets have two poles (north and south) and that like poles repel each other while unlike poles attract each other.
Investigation and Experimentation
SCI.4.6 Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations.
SCI.4.6.a. Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists' explanations come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.
SCI.4.6.c. Formulate and justify predictions based on cause-and-effect relationships.
SCI.4.6.d. Conduct multiple trials to test a prediction and draw conclusions about the relationships between predictions and results.
SCI.4.6.f. Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.