Materials
Large box, such as a refrigerator box
Matte knife (adult only)
Two empty wastepaper baskets
Silver duct tape
Small chairs
Tempera paint and brushes
Instructions
1. Pour sand into washtubs or use a sandbox for this activity.
2. Give each child a bar magnet. Ask them if they know what will happen if
they rub the magnet in the sand.
3. Encourage the children to rub their magnets in the sand and observe what
happens. They will probably see black fuzzy things sticking to the magnet
(these are metal filings).
4. Explain that some rocks are made of metal and that sand comes from rocks
that wear down (this may be a good time to introduce the concept of erosion).
5. Ask the children to rub the metal filings into a container for later exploration
in the classroom.
6. Place the metal filings from the sand on trays. Encourage them to experiment
by moving the magnets in a circular movement over the filings.
Caution: Make sure that children do not use magnets near computers.
More to do
More Science: Ask the children to find other objects that stick to the magnets.
You may want to plant a few objects around the room or set out a tray of objects
that the magnets will attract.