Aims | Outline | Curriculum Relevance | Background | Activities |
The Blue Dragon
Programme 10: Magic Metal?
This programme aims to develop children's
understanding of magnetism, the properties of materials and
magnetism as a force.
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In this programme we find the characters on a
deserted beach where they find a spoon in the sand. They then find
a horseshoe magnet and discover that it attracts the spoon and
other objects. The characters wonder if they have found 'Dragon's
Treasure'. When a nest falls off the cliff-face onto the beach we
are introduced to Jilly the Jackdaw, whose nest it is. The nest is
stuffed with nuts, bolts, silver paper, paper clips and other
objects.
The friends leave the beach and walk up to the top of the cliff
where they come to a gate, but they cannot reach the key. They come
up with the idea of using the magnet to get the key but Jilly
steals it from them.
The friends decide to trick Jilly into thinking that they have a
magic car by using a magnet inside a box to mysteriously move the
car on top. Jilly exchanges the key for the magic car and the
friends open the gate to another place.
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The programme
explores:
- different kinds of magnets;
- exploring magnets;
- materials that are magnetic and non-magnetic;
- problem-solving using magnets.
There are many curriculum
links that can be made, for example:
- Design and Technology – create a magnet
game.
- ICT – take a digital photograph of your game
being played and use it to make a leaflet with simple instructions
for playing your game.
- Mathematics – carry out a survey of favourite
jacket potato fillings.
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Magnets come in different shapes and sizes and vary
in strength. Sometimes the smaller magnets are in fact the
strongest and are able to attract quite large objects. There are
magnet marbles, magnets that are horseshoe or bar-shaped, and
magnets that have a hole in the middle. Around the home there are
magnets on handbags, kitchen cupboard doors, screwdrivers (to pick
up screws) and also in children's toys and games.
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Engage children in a simple
fair-test investigation where children have to find out 'Which
magnet is the strongest?' Children could find out:
- Which magnet holds the most paper clips?
- Which magnet pulls the heaviest load?
- Which magnet works from the furthest distance?
Ask children to bring fridge magnets from home (with
permission from parents, of course) and create a display on a
board. Challenge children to design and make their own fridge
magnets, which they could take home at the end of the topic. The
fridge magnets could be made from a range of different materials,
including clay.
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