Magnets Experiments!

Just finished our magnets unit!  Check out some of our experiments and activities:

Most are quick and easy!

Horseshoe War!  We battle these horseshoe magnets to be sure students understand the difference between not attracting and repelling!  Like poles will repel-- Magnets and wood do not attract or repel!

 

How to Make a Temporary Magnet

See My earlier post for pictures, directions and teaching tips/tools for how to make a temporary magnet!

Trick Magnets

Head to your nearest Dollar Tree!

$1 for a set of these super cool trick magnets!  They amaze the kids when they attract through your hand.  Hide one on the back of your clipboard, and just start sliding it around.  Shh... as they notice the other magnet magically sliding around, they grin!

Floating Paperclip!

See this post for a super exciting, quick and very little work experiment on magnetic field!

 

Magnet Race

Review attract and repel by putting colored stickers on the poles of your magnets, so students can identify north and north and south and south.  Use one magnet to repel-without touching- the other magnet to the opposite side of the tray!  First one there is the Winner!  Get too close to the magnet's pair?  They will attract and you have to start over!  The race is on!  Place cards beside the tray that read "attract" and "repel" so the kiddos know to use these words as they are describing the experience!  They hardly know they are learning!

Floating magnets!

Don't have this display model?

Stick a pencil through several ceramic magnets with their like poles facing.  They float!  Students do a great job of explaining why this happens!  Review magnetic field by pulling the magnets away from each other?  Why do they no longer repel or attract?

Magnetic Field Models

Worth every penny!  Buy these!  I've tried pouring iron filings onto a glass picture frame--- What a mess!  These little kits are super easy for clean up and are safe for the kids to use themselves.  Hand them two magnets and have them describe how attract looks different from repel!  Why????

 

Compass!

Draw a map... you know some triangle mountains, snake like rivers and Christmas trees.  Slap a winding path through the middle and discuss what happens when a hiker gets lost.  How do you find your way out?  Why would a compass be helpful?  What does a magnet do to a compass?  What does a large iron object do to a compass?  How does it work?  Great activator!

Attract/Won't Attract Experiment 

Place various items in tubs and allow students to test them.  I always put different types of metals in mine!  It throws them off every time!  Especially the penny!  Try an aluminum can!

Recording sheet is FREE at my TpT store!

How to Make an Electromagnet:

materials- copper wire, nail, 9 volt battery

Coil the wire around the nail like this and hold the other end to the terminals of the battery.  It won't be very strong, but it will certainly attract a few spent staples- just enough to AMAZE the kids!

For me, experiments catch their attention, but they need the vocabulary in print!  Check out my word wall words, vocabulary matching sets, dominoes for vocabulary.

Vocabulary review with these awesome, kid friendly foldables (available at my TpT Store)

Check out my TpT store, Tab Purvis, for my vocabulary bundle, review game and most popular- magnets minibook!

magnet minibook!

Happy Experimenting!

Tab

Snowmen Multiplication Tents

Bored?  Not hardly! 
Ready to go back to school?  Maybe just a little. 
Still want to stay around the house in my comfy pjs all day?  Absolutely!

I've been thinking about the posttests we gave in December.  Why do kids always miss 6x7 and 7x8?  What makes those facts so hard?

So, I put together a couple of activities that have little prep, will take little class time, (which seems to FLY by after Christmas rolls around) and will hopefully make an impact on our children.

AND they are FREE!!

Yes, I'm still in the Christmas spirit.  My tree is still up.  A Christmas snowflake tablecloth is still on my dining table and I'm still watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  Love the holidays!!!

Now on to the free stuff!

This Snowman Set is a fun twist to traditional flash cards!

I've used these multiplication tents before and the kids love them!  The trick- make sure both kids are reading from the same column!  This is great for utilizing transitional times!

One student sits on each side of the tent.  Student A will have the multiplication facts and Student B will see the answers.  Student A will call out the answers and Student B will stop her if she gets one wrong!  Add more competition by using stop watches to see who is the fastest or tracking their progress over a few days!  You'll notice the easier facts are only represented a couple of times, while those stubborn facts are piled in there!

NEXT!

This next FREEBIE is a simple print, clip and sharpen some pencils freebie!  Stick these pennants on their pencils for the first few days back from our break!  They will see their stubborn math facts all day, enjoy drawing their own art on the back (don't they always love drawing), and want to write more in their journal, at least until the new wears off!  :)

Bring a little holiday cheer back to school with you!

Visit my TpT Store and print out your FREEBIES!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tab-Purvis

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snowmen-Flaschard-Twist

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pencil-Toppers-Stubborn-Multiplication-Facts

Happy writing!

Tab

REVISED 1/1/13

So excited to have 25 followers on TpT!  Check out my latest blog for your chance to grab your favorite product from my store for FREE!

http://tabpurvis.blogspot.com/2013/01/25-followers-on-tpt-giveaway.html

Tricks of the Season

So the Christmas Craziness has hit room 403!  The kids are singing while parading up the hallways, and all 24 want to tell me what they're getting for Christmas.  Two kids now regularly wear a Santa hat and I do believe I saw a candy cane being split among 8 girls.  (Just glad it was broken and not passed lick for lick)  ...I love this time of year!  It seems like everyone is in a good mood...stressed in the 5 foot world... but good mood just the same!  I try to be a little more lax in the talking department and a little more firm in the R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  You know how it goes!  Get them to the 3:00 bell!  We go until what feels like Christmas Eve.  Really its the Friday before but that sounds way less dramatic.  It'll be interesting.  We'll wear pajamas that last day, enjoy some hot cocoa and review our math facts.  I think I'll have to come up with a game or two before then.  Working on Jeopardy for magnets and heat right now.  Anywho.  Here's how I keep my sanity and standards running neck and neck.

First, tape this to every one's desk.  If you switch classes, put it on their notebook.  When you catch someone doing something good, initial a light bulb.  I tell mine they have to have all 9 in order to get to eat at our Christmas party.  Shhh... they'll all get to eat, but they sure are proud to think they worked for it!  I guess you could cross one off each time they were bad, but that's not something I want to keep up with.  :)

Second,  the fastest game you'll ever make.  I wanted to review thermal energy and magnets today so I wiped the dust off the textbooks and turned to page 122.  Those practice CRCT questions came in handy!  Type up and clip apart A-D and stuff in an envelope.  They got "toe to toe"--that's how I pair them...they always get so preoccupied with looking for empty feet that they don't fuss about who they work with.  Each pair got a set of letter cards and would read the question and then hold their answer covered up in their hand.  I checked, they tossed a ball through a basketball goal from Dollar Tree and all was right with the world.  I spend 3.5 hours working on thermal energy Jeopardy and they want to throw a wad of paper at the trash can.  Go figure!  I wasn't knocking it because they were focused and reviewing/extending concepts and it was smooth sailing!

What tricks do you have up your sleeve for these final few days of 2012?

 

 

Download a print friendly version of my Christmas lights countdown for FREE at my TpT Store!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tab-Purvis

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-Countdown-Behavior-Tracker

Rudolph's Multiplication Challenge

Rudolph needs your help to save Christmas!  Blitzen is trying to hijack the job of leading the sleigh...yes, THE sleigh!  How will Santa choose?  Check out my Rudolph's Multiplication Challenge at my TpT store to find out!  This is an activity the kids will love!  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tab-Purvis 
Just a simple click and print away from having a festive way to keep those kids busy and their behavior under control as the holidays draw near! 

        

Christmas FREEBIE!!!

Hit up my store to print out your FREE Rudolph multiplicaton flash cards!  Get those kids to practice their facts!

 

Happy Holidays!!

FREEBIE!!

Teachers work way to hard!  Check out my blog to get your FREEBIE from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

This week, I've been thinking about multiplication and division.  Some of my kids have it down while others think it is Greek!  I whipped up this little poster to keep up with who is ready for something harder.  I plan to have one for division and one for multiplication.

Hope it helps as you work on your mid year assessments after this wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Click here for my store:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tab-Purvis