This activity is an extension of activity #3. Once the class is confident in their understanding magnetic strength, you can begin working on making a temporary magnet. To do this, you will need horseshoe magnets, some paper clips and steal wool or iron shavings. First straiten out the paper clip. Rub the paper clip against one end of your magnet 20 times. It is very important to always rub in the same direction, do not rub the wire back and forth or your experiment will not work. Once you have made your temporary magnet, it is time to test it. The magnet you have made is not very powerful, so you will need to break up some of your steal wool into tiny bits or if you are using iron shavings, just pour some out onto the table. Now, try to pick up the small bits with your magnetized paper clip. It really works!
(Prove it! P. 56-57). If you find that your students are really interested in this, you could try making an electromagnet with them at this point. The information can be found under the Electronics section of this curriculum; Activity #5.