Magnetic Enquiry Exploration

Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 28 students
Unit: Magnetic Forces Unleashed (Lesson 7 of 7)
Age Group: Year 3 (7–8 years old)
Subject: Science
National Curriculum Focus:

• Working Scientifically (Key Stage 2)
• Science Programme of Study: Year 3 - Forces and magnets

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Ask relevant scientific questions about magnets and forces, demonstrating curiosity and linked to prior knowledge.
• Plan and conduct simple practical enquiries and comparative tests related to magnetic forces.
• Use appropriate scientific vocabulary such as force, magnetic, attract, repel, poles, and friction.
• Gather and record data systematically using charts or tables created collaboratively.
• Draw conclusions based on observed evidence and communicate their findings clearly.
• Work collaboratively, respecting others’ contributions in scientific enquiry.

National Curriculum references:

• Working Scientifically (Year 3 skills):

  • Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.
  • Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
  • Making systematic and careful observations and taking accurate measurements using standard units.
  • Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, and tables.
  • Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.

• Science content (Year 3):

  • Notice that some forces need contact between two objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance.
  • Observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others.
  • Compare and group materials based on whether they are attracted to a magnet.

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Resources Needed

• Variety of magnets (bar, horseshoe, disc magnets)
• Assorted materials (paperclips, coins, plastic spoons, wooden blocks, fabric pieces, iron nails)
• Whiteboards and markers
• Large classroom chart paper and sticky notes
• Enquiry planning template handouts (simple table for question, prediction, test, result, conclusion)
• Clipboards, pencils
• Stopwatch or timers
• Digital camera or tablet (optional, for students to photograph their experiments)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter: Recap & Spark Curiosity (10 minutes)

• Activity:
  • Begin by revisiting key concepts from previous lessons with a quick whole-class discussion:
    • What do magnets do?
    • What have we learned about forces?
  • Show a short “magic trick” with a magnet attracting an unexpected item (e.g., magnet under the table pulling a paperclip).
• Engage:
  • Pose the question: What mysteries do magnets still hold? What would you like to find out?
• Outcome: Students volunteer intriguing questions about magnets in a rapid-fire brainstorm. Use sticky notes and cluster similar questions on a large chart.

2. Main Activity Part 1: Formulating Scientific Questions (10 minutes)

• Guided Mini-Lesson:
  • Explain what makes a good scientific question: clear, testable, about magnets and forces.
  • Model examples of testable vs non-testable questions (e.g., Do magnets attract metal? vs Why are magnets magical?).
• Student Task:
  • In pairs, students select one interesting question from the brainstorm or create their own. Write their question on the enquiry template.
  • Write a simple prediction (what do they think will happen?).

3. Main Activity Part 2: Designing and Conducting Simple Enquiries (25 minutes)

• Instructions:
  • Explain safety rules and encourage fairness and careful observation.
  • Each pair designs a simple experiment to find out the answer to their question using the materials provided.
  • Examples:
    • Which materials are attracted to a magnet?
    • How far away can a magnet attract a paperclip?
    • Does the size or shape of the magnet affect attraction strength?
• Conduct the enquiry:
  • Students carry out their experiments, record observations and results on their templates.
  • Teachers and TAs circulate offering support, encouraging detailed recording and fair test methods.

4. Plenary: Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

• Sharing:
  • Invite pairs to briefly explain their question, method, and what they found out.
  • Use a classroom display board to showcase enquiry templates and photos (if taken).
• Reflection prompt:
  • Ask, What did you learn about magnets and forces?
  • Which questions surprised you? Which experiments worked best?
• Class conclusion:
  • Reiterate the importance of scientific questioning and enquiry in discovering facts.
  • Celebrate the curiosity and teamwork shown during the unit.

5. Extension (if time permits or for home learning)

• Challenge students to create a fun magnetic game or demonstration using magnets and materials at home.
• Invite them to think about everyday uses of magnetic forces and bring examples next lesson.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Support:
  • Provide sentence starters for enquiry templates for pupils who need help framing predictions and conclusions.
  • Use adult helpers to ensure engagement and safety during practicals.
• Challenge:
  • Encourage some pupils to include measurement (e.g., distance) and repeat tests for reliability.
  • Prompt deeper questioning such as Why does that happen? or How could we improve our test?

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Assessment

• Formative:
  • Observe students asking focused scientific questions and engaging thoughtfully with enquiry design.
  • Review completed enquiry templates for clarity of question, prediction, recorded results, and conclusions aligned to scientific thinking.
• Summative:
  • Use pupils’ shared presentations and enquiry work as evidence of attainment against the ‘Working Scientifically’ objectives for Year 3.
• Self/Peer-assessment:
  • Post-lesson reflection allowing pupils to identify what helped or challenged their enquiry skills.

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Key Vocabulary to Reinforce

• Magnet
• Force
• Attract
• Repel
• Poles (north and south)
• Material
• Prediction
• Observation
• Fair test
• Conclusion

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Teacher’s Notes & Tips

• Encourage excitement by relating magnetic enquiry to real-world applications (compasses, fridge magnets, recycling).
• Rotate groupings to maximise peer learning and share ideas across pairs.
• Use enquiry as an opportunity to explicitly link science with communication skills and teamwork.
• Use questioning like “How can we be sure?” or “What else could affect our test?” to deepen scientific understanding beyond the literal experiment.
• Record video clips or photos to create a digital scrapbook showcasing the entire “Magnetic Forces Unleashed” unit for parents and school displays.

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By the end of this final lesson, Year 3 pupils will not only consolidate their knowledge about magnets and forces but also build confidence as young scientists ready to question, investigate, and explain the physical world around them.