Science · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Magnets and Electromagnets: Invisible Forces

Active learning helps Year 7 students grasp the abstract nature of magnetic forces by making them visible and tangible. Handling real materials like magnets, compasses, and wires turns invisible fields into observable patterns, reinforcing conceptual understanding through direct experience.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: Science - Electricity and Magnetism

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Magnet Properties Stations

Prepare four stations: pole identification with hanging magnets, attract/repel tests with various materials, field plotting with iron filings, and compass tracing around a bar magnet. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, sketching observations and noting patterns at each station. Conclude with a class share-out of findings.

Explain how magnets attract and repel each other.

Facilitation Tip

During Magnet Properties Stations, circulate with a tray of metal samples to prompt students to explain why some metals respond while others do not.

What to look for

Provide students with a diagram showing a bar magnet and a compass. Ask them to draw the magnetic field lines around the magnet and label the North and South poles. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why the compass needle points in a specific direction.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Build and Test Electromagnets

Provide coils, iron nails, batteries, and wires. Pairs wind different numbers of coils, connect to circuit, and test lifting paperclips. They record results in a table, then swap to try varying battery voltage. Discuss which factor has greatest effect.

Analyze the factors that affect the strength of an electromagnet.

Facilitation Tip

When pairs build electromagnets, ask them to record current readings and count coils before testing strength to emphasize controlled variables.

What to look for

Present students with three electromagnets, each with a different number of coils (e.g., 20, 50, 100) but the same current. Ask them to predict which electromagnet will be strongest and explain their reasoning based on the factors discussed. Then, have them test their predictions by seeing how many paperclips each can lift.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Fair Test Design Challenge

Groups design experiment to investigate one factor on electromagnet strength, such as core material. They predict, list equipment, control variables, and test three options. Present method and results to class for peer feedback.

Design an experiment to investigate the magnetic field around a bar magnet.

Facilitation Tip

For the Fair Test Design Challenge, provide a checklist of variables to control so students focus on one change at a time.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How could you design an experiment to determine if the type of core material (e.g., iron vs. plastic) affects the strength of an electromagnet?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to identify variables to control and measure.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Field Visualisation Demo

Sprinkle iron filings near bar magnets on white paper, tap gently to align. Project under document camera. Students draw field lines, then repeat with electromagnet switched on/off to compare. Note safety with currents.

Explain how magnets attract and repel each other.

Facilitation Tip

In the Field Visualisation Demo, have students sketch their observations immediately to connect the visual pattern to the concept of field lines.

What to look for

Provide students with a diagram showing a bar magnet and a compass. Ask them to draw the magnetic field lines around the magnet and label the North and South poles. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why the compass needle points in a specific direction.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach magnets and electromagnets by combining hands-on work with structured reflection. Avoid overloading students with terminology; let them discover rules through repeated observation. Research shows that students grasp abstract forces better when they first manipulate concrete materials and then verbalize their observations. Emphasize the temporary nature of electromagnets to prevent persistent misconceptions.

Students will confidently identify magnetic poles, predict interactions between magnets, and explain how electromagnets function. They will use evidence from experiments to correct misconceptions and justify their reasoning with data.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Magnet Properties Stations, watch for students assuming all metals are magnetic.

  Have students sort metal samples into 'attracted' and 'not attracted' columns, then discuss which metals share common properties like iron content.

• During Build and Test Electromagnets, watch for students believing the magnet stays on after the current stops.

  Guide students to switch the current on and off multiple times while testing with paperclips to observe the immediate loss of magnetism.

• During Fair Test Design Challenge, watch for students thinking more coils always make a stronger magnet regardless of current.

  Ask students to graph the number of coils against the number of paperclips lifted while keeping current constant, then repeat with varied current to compare effects.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation