Summary Students experiment with magnets and water resistance. Demonstration of air resistance. Science content Physics: Motion and Forces, Newton’s Laws, Gravity (K, 2, 6) Activities in this lesson Dancing magnets Magnetic force through materials Magnetic force field patterns Water resistance: racing shapes through water Air resistance Materials Materials in the activities Procedure Half the students move through magnet stations: 1. Magnets through materials 2. Dancing magnets 3. Magnetic force field patterns. Half the students do a water resistance activity: racing shapes through water. Then switch the student groups. (The multiple short magnet activities should match the time needed to do the longer water resistance activity.) End with a demonstration of air resistance. Discussion of the different kinds of forces: Magnetic force can act through materials and acts at a distance (it does not need to touch the material/magnet to push/pull it) - it is a non-contact force. Water resistance is the slowing force on an object as it moves through water, as the water pushes against it. We build boats with a shape that reduces water resistance, to go faster and reduce energy - they are 'streamlined'. Fish have different shapes that match their need to move through water: the fast-moving ones are long and thin (streamlined), whereas those that don't need to go fast are flatter or rounder. Air resistance is a slowing force on an object moving through air. Like water resistance, it is a contact force. We build planes with a streamlined shape to reduce air resistance. A parachute is very wide, to maximize air resistance and to slow the parachutist down. Water and air resistance are both also called 'drag'. Grades taught Gr 2 Gr 3
