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Expected Results:
Students will have a better understanding of magnetism and electromagnetism and will have fun exploring this topic. Exact observa-
tions/results may vary at some stations based on student creativity and other factors. You will want to test each station so you know
what to expect and can give advice to students as needed.
Teaching Notes:
After completing the lab/moving through all 10 lab stations. You may want to do a few demonstrations for the class. These items are also
related to electromagnetism, but are items you may not want students to use, or that you may only have one of, etc.
Do these as demonstrations for the class:
1. The Shaking Flashlight—This shake to charge flashlight incorporates a magnetic charging system, which generates electricity
stored in a 3.6v NiMH battery. As the rare earth magnet passes through the copper wire coil the battery is recharged."
2. The Energy Stick and Energy ball—have the class make a big circle and complete the circuit to make them work.
3. The Hand Generator
4. The Buzzing Magnets
5. The Electromagnet/review properties of a circuit
6. The Spinning Screw electric motor
Background Information, Activity Setup:
Gather all materials ahead of time & print enough student worksheets for groups of 2 or 3 students.
(I did 3 students per group because I have tables for 3 in my classroom. You may want to alter this depending on the set up of your
classroom.)
Also print the directions for each station (you may want to laminate these, so they last longer).
Optional: number each lab station. I also made a laminated paper with a green side & a red side. When students finish a station,
they turn the paper to the green side, meaning, they are ready to go. This is a quick way to see if all the groups are done early. It is
optional though, because most of the time it is easy to tell when a group is done.
Teacher reads these at the beginning of the lab to explain: .
• Today we are doing a lab with 'lab stations.' Each station will have a simple experiment or observation for you to complete that
will show you some property of electromagnetism. It is your chance to do some 'hands-on' science.
• You will start at whatever number station you are seated by and proceed in numerical order after that. (Your teacher will show
you the order.)
• Follow the directions at each station and answer the questions on your worksheet.
• You will work with your lab group but will each answer the questions on your own lab sheet. Work quickly and help each
other. It is a good idea to select one student as the 'reader' to read the directions at each lab station out loud.
• You will also receive a grade for working well and behaving appropriately. Your teacher will be observing you while you work.
• Do NOT be loud. Speak only loud enough that your group members, who are right beside you, can hear you.
• Be VERY CAREFUL with the items at each lab station. Many are breakable. If you break anything, you will be charged for its
replacement and given at least one detention. Be good.
• You will have a MAXIMUM OF 4 MINUTES at each lab station. This equals a total of 40 minutes for the lab since there are 10
stations. Your teacher will set a timer. You must move quickly to the next lab station when your time is up, so we have time to
complete the lab. If you don't finish with a question, you can fill it in later as some stations take less time than others.
• If you are done with a station in less than 4 minutes, turn the red/green paper to the green side. If your teacher sees that ev-
eryone is 'green' before the time is up, they'll have you move on. This will give us extra time for talk time at the end of class.
• We will look at a couple of other electromagnetic demonstrations as a class when we are finished if we have time today. We'll
see others on other days.
Marvelous Magnets: An Exploration
of Electromagnetism with Lab Stations (continued)
