Magnets and Electricity

Our science topic this week is electricity and magnets. Students built two different electric circuits, one which could turn a light on and off with a switch, and one which could launch a small fan into the air.

We also talked about how electricity is generated and travels through different parts of the power grid on its way to houses, schools, and other places. If your child is interested, you can take a tour of your own house and follow the trail from the utility pole. We talked about how comfort and convenience are the reasons that electrical wires run through our walls, ending in outlets all over our houses and classroom. Even though we can’t see those wires, it is important to know how they work. A Tom Glaser song, “Electricity,” is helping us remember that we can change electricity into many things, including heat, sound, motion, and light.

Magnets are also important in our lives. Compasses contain magnets that help pilots make sure planes and boats make it to far away destinations. Compasses work because our planet is also a magnet. We can’t see all the magnets around us, but we learned they are inside vacuums, phones, computers, refrigerators, and lots of other things we use every day.

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