Resources: Polystyrene ball (3inch), strong magnet (for example, a neodymium magnet), thread, paper clips and wire clippers (to make the short pieces of metal), cocktail sticks and a small cardboard box.
Handout: Questions related to the Mission Assignment and space for students to draw their diagrams.
Revise relevant KS2 learning, such as how the Earth has a magnetic field which causes compasses to point north.
Ask the students to draw a diagram of what they think the Earth's magnetic field looks like and answer the questions on the slide.
With the students, work through the first part of the powerpoint and answer any questions. Once they are familiar with magnetoreception and how a compass works, they can then start on the practical. This can be done before or after the career films. Use the worksheet to set up the model and then critique it.
Career Film: Take a tour around Rolls Royce SMR's Heritage Museum in Derby to find out about Graeme Sutcliffe's job. Graeme works as the Engineering Test Lead for Rolls Royce SMR.
Expert Film: This is Graeme Sutcliffe. Graeme works as the Engineering Test Lead for Rolls Royce SMR. Listen to Graeme as he considers the Earth as a magnet.
Modelling Earth's magnetic field
The students should build a model of the Earth's magnetic field in three dimensions. To do this, a polystyrene ball should be hollowed out in the middle and filled with a strong magnet, such as a neodymium magnet. It is advised that this is done prior to the modelling exercise.
The students should tie one end of a piece of thread to a cocktail stick and the other to a short piece of metal, about 2cm long. They should make at least eight.
Once they have done this, they should place their magnetic ball on top of the cardboard box in the centre. Students then push their cocktail sticks into the box, letting the other end of the thread with the piece of metal reach towards the magnetic ball. They may need to adjust the length of the thread so the piece of metal is suspended in the air by the magnetic field surrounding the ball.
This process should be repeated so that the 3D nature of the ball's magnetic field can be seen clearly. Making the pieces of metal rest at different heights on the ball will help achieve this.
Support Task: The model can be constructed by a teacher/technician beforehand, so that if the students are unable to build the model, they can still critique it from the pre-constructed version. Alternatively, this can be used as a demo so the students are supported in understanding what their final model should look like and how it will work.
Challenge Task: After critiquing the model, the students can rewrite the method for making the model with improvements, so if another class were to make the model, their version would be more accurate.
Firstly, the students should share their critiques of their models and then suggest improvements to the model, including using different equipment or changing the method. With their talk partners, the students are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.
Earth, in many ways, is like a gigantic magnet. Just like a normal bar magnet, it has a south pole and a north pole and is surrounded by a very strong and large magnetic field. Earth's magnetic field is generated by the electric currents in the liquid outer core that is composed of magnetic iron. These currents are responsible for the creation of magnetic fields.
Its magnetic field is so large that it actually stretches out into a region known as the magnetosphere in space. Sometimes, energised particles will interact with the magnetic field and cause pretty spectacular auroras in the sky. Earth's magnetic field keeps us safe from solar radiation in space by deflecting the radioactive particles as they approach the atmosphere.
Earth's magnetism can be explained through a process known as the dynamo effect. The inside of Earth's solid core transfers heat via the molten outer core to Earth's surface through a process known as convection. The liquid part of the core will then start to move and generate an electric current. The electric current will remain due to Earth keeping the liquid core in constant motion.
The Sun's magnetic field is a lot larger than Earth's, but the Moon's magnetism is usually very small or non-existent.