This activity is just to introduce you class to magnets. Provide children with a variety of magnetic and non-magnetic objects. Allow students to work independently to see what type of experience they already have. Magnetic objects can include, but are not limited to the following: paper clips, screws, nuts, bolts, metal washers, metal tops from frozen juice cans, small magnetic letters, iron shavings and other safe metal objects. Be sure to include enough non-magnetic objects so the children will be able to create some type of comparison. At this point, use only non-magnetic objects that are not made of metal. Later, students will be asked to discriminate between magnetic and non-magnetic metal items.
There are many children's books about magnets; some are listed in the bibliography of this curriculum. Choose one that would be of interest to your class and share the book with them. Then engage them in a discussion about the book and how it relates to what they have been learning.