Scholars build a compass using a needle, cork, magnet, and a water-filled cup in order to locate the magnetic north and south.

Concepts

compasses, north and south, magnets, magnetic fields, magnetic force, the earth's magnetic field

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Invite parents and guardians to assist children making compasses in the classroom 
• Send a copy of the instructions home so learners can build a compass with their family members 
• Confirm the accuracy of pupil-constructed compasses with a hand-held compass

Classroom Considerations

• Inform class members of the safety measures for handling needles 
• Requires an assortment of materials; to save time and money, ask parents and guardians to donate supplies

Pros

• Provides background information about how sailors used magnetic compasses to sail oceans and seas 
• Breaks instructions down into seven detailed steps

Cons

• None