Back to School - Educator Edition
After a long and enjoyable summer, it can be hard for both you and your students to get back into a solid routine. Not to mention, the work you put into classroom setup and creating numerous lesson plans at the beginning of each school year can exhaust you quickly. Instead of allowing your work to become a daunting task, try adding some demonstrations that can liven up the classroom and help ease the transition from summer to school year. Below outlines a science demonstration using magnets and other ingredients that you can add to your lesson plans!
- ½ cup Black Iron Oxide Natural
- ¼ cup Baby oil
- Glass jar/ with lid
- Water (enough to fill jar)
- Neodymium Magnet
- Spoon to mix
- Start by gathering your supplies.
- Create the iron oxide mixture. Begin by pouring the baby oil into a dish. Then add the iron oxide to the dish. Mix the two ingredients until the mixture reaches a paste-like consistency.
- Prepare the jar for the experiment. Place the iron oxide and oil mixture to the glass jar. Add enough water to fill the rest of the jar. Close the lid and allow the mixture to settle to the bottom until the water is clear.
- Start the experiment. Take your magnet and run it along the outside of the jar. You will see the iron oxide gather on the inside of the jar, showing the magnetic field of the magnet.
That is all there is to it—a few supplies and few minutes of setup—to create a fun science lesson for your students!
Safety is always a concern in the classroom, however, so it is best to make this a demonstration you give or use extreme caution when allowing students to complete this experiment on their own. Remember that there are always risks associated with magnet use. When keeping safety in mind, this simple but educational experiment can be a great addition to any lesson plan and will keep you and your students eager to teach and learn!