Unit Plan 6 (Grade 3 Science): Magnet Interactions

Focus: Ask questions and explore how magnets attract and repel at a distance and how this affects the motion of objects.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Inquiry/Engineering)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students become “magnet detectives,” exploring how magnetic forces act on objects without touching them. Through hands-on stations, simple investigations, and question-generation routines, they discover that magnets can attract certain materials and repel or attract other magnets depending on orientation. Students practice asking cause-and-effect questions about magnetic interactions and use evidence from their tests to describe how magnets can start, stop, or change motion.

Essential Questions

• How can magnets push or pull objects without touching them?
• What kinds of materials do magnets attract, and which materials are not affected by magnets?
• How do orientation and distance change the way magnets interact with each other?
• How can we ask good science questions about what we observe and then test those questions?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify magnetic vs. non-magnetic materials through simple tests using bar or ring magnets.
2. Describe and demonstrate how magnets can attract and repel at a distance and change the motion of small objects.
3. Ask cause-and-effect questions about magnetic interactions (e.g., distance, orientation, barriers) and plan simple tests.
4. Record observations in tables and diagrams that show what happens when magnets and objects interact.
5. Use evidence from investigations to explain at least one cause-and-effect relationship involving magnetic forces.

Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 3-PS2-3 — Ask questions about cause-and-effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
  • Example: Ask, “What happens if I turn one magnet around?” or “How does adding a piece of cardboard between magnets change the force?” and then test it.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can sort objects into “magnetic” and “not magnetic” using tests with a magnet.
• I can show that magnets can attract or repel each other without touching.
• I can ask and write cause-and-effect questions about magnets (for example, “What happens if…?”).
• I can make a data table or drawing that shows what happened when I tested magnets and objects.
• I can use evidence from my tests to explain how magnets changed an object’s motion or interaction.