step into my classroom: magnetic mustaches

This week in sixth grade science we have been learning about magnetism. Each day after we got through our lesson, I gave the students time to interact with some very strong magnets and various metal components such as washers, nuts, bolts, and ball bearings. It was so fun for me to watch my students demonstrate and further their understanding of magnetism through this free play. As I walked around the room I heard them using vocabulary words such as attract and repel, and as I watched I saw them used their knowledge of these forces to manipulate the metal objects in a variety of ways. Metal washers darted to and fro as if by magic, a magnetic menagerie of animals paraded across the desks, and some students even rigged up a game of "air hockey" using forces of repulsion!

One particularly funny moment was when we realized that a bar magnet held up to a container of iron filings looked like a mustache. So, we had an impromptu photo shoot.

... but I'll shave it for later.