Activity 6: We build a compass. |
Magnetism |
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Target group: children of 3 to 6 years in kindergarten |
Aim: Getting to know the functioning of a
compass. |
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Where: group area |
How long? Approx. 45 minutes |
What? Getting to know the functioning
of a compass.
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Preparation: Compasses, magnets, a bowl,
a piece of cork, a needle or metal bar, tape. |
Steps: The nursery school teacher
has a compass for each pair of children. At first the children can experiment freely with
the compass. The nursery school teacher mentions the directions, and
afterwards the children think about in which direction the needle of the
compass points and may experiment further. The children guess why the needle
turns. They take a magnet and experiment further, the
magnet’s poles are labelled. Building the compass: The
necessary materials are put into the centre of the circle. The
children describe the materials and think about how they can build a compass
from the materials. With the help of the nursery school teacher the
children build a compass. Building instructions:
4. The
North Pole of the needle always points to the North. The children try the
compass and pairs are asked to build their own compass. They take another
compass as a model. The nursery school teacher makes the connection with the North and South Poles of
the earth. Note: With these materials the children may also
experiment in free play. |
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Scientific Explanation: A compass is a device for the
determination of the North direction. The compass needle is a magnet, which
sits on a pivot. Even if you turn the compass, the needle always points
North. |
Possible variation: The compass can also be
made from a bottle-top, into which you push the magnetized
needle. In order to distinguish between the North and the South Poles you can
paint one end red and the other one green. |
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Note!
The experiments with the
compass are particularly suitable for older children. Beautiful
instructions for playing that also stress an holistic approach can be found
in the book "Spielzeug Physik". |
References: Ardley, Neill Spannende Experimente aus Natur und Technik.
Bindlach 1998 Niggemeier, Hibon: Spielzeug Physik |
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