P4 General Studies | Magnetism and the Compass Lesson-Prep Guide (for tutors)

P4 General Studies | Magnetism and the Compass Lesson-Prep Guide (for tutors) | 45 minutes from poles to the compass

2026-11-08

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary General Studies

Nearly every student says a magnet attracts metal, when in fact it attracts only iron, cobalt and nickel; an aluminium can and a copper wire do nothing. The value of this lesson is turning “knowing about magnets” into “testing instead of guessing”.

Objectives — Students can: (1) state that a magnet has a north and a south pole, with like poles repelling and unlike poles attracting; (2) test materials and explain that aluminium, copper and plastic are not attracted; (3) show that magnetic force passes through paper, thin wood and water; (4) explain that a compass needle is itself a small magnet, which is why it settles pointing north and south.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Four directions	Name the four main directions	East, south, west and north, 90 degrees apart
The idea of a metal	An iron spoon and an aluminium can	Both are metals, but only iron is attracted
Recording observations	How many trials are needed	At least two, to rule out chance
Fair comparison	What must stay the same in two tests	Same magnet, same distance, same action

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0–8 min	Starter: two magnets	Hand over two magnets and let the student play for a minute, then ask what happened	Says “sometimes it sticks, sometimes it pushes away”
8–17 min	Poles, attraction and repulsion	Label N and S on the board; show N–S attracting and N–N repelling	States the result for all four pairings
17–26 min	What is attracted and what is not	Lay out an iron nail, aluminium can, copper wire, eraser and wooden ruler and test each	Sorts them into two columns
26–34 min	Force through materials	Attract a nail through paper, thin wood and a cup of water	Records “still attracts” for each
34–43 min	How a compass works	The needle is a small magnet; at rest one end points north	Explains it is lined up by the Earth’s magnetic field
43–45 min	Exit check	Three quick oral questions	Answers independently

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Attraction and repulsion must be about poles

Students report that magnets sometimes stick and sometimes spring apart, with no reason, so they treat magnets as moody. Fix the attention on the ends: each magnet has N and S, N against N pushes away, N against S holds.
Before every demonstration, have the student read out which two poles are touching, predict the result, then test. Prediction against result is what makes the idea stick.

Student says: “Both are N, so they will push apart” before touching them.

Scene 2: “Magnets attract metal” must be overturned in the room

Nine out of ten students believe magnets attract every metal. Use counter-examples: an aluminium can, copper wire and a gold ring do not move; iron nails, iron clips and nickel coins do.
Then give a usable rule: magnets attract iron, cobalt and nickel. At primary level only iron needs memorising; the point is that it is not all metals.

Student does: sort eight objects on the desk into two piles and give a reason for each.

Scene 3: Force through materials is a field, not magic

Students find it amazing that the force still works through paper, then conclude nothing blocks magnetism. Show both sides: thin paper, thin wood and water do not block it, a thick iron plate does.
Say it in one line: “Around a magnet there is an invisible region called a magnetic field; thin things do not block it, thick iron carries it away.” Add the safety point: keep magnets away from watches, bank cards and electronics.
The compass is the same idea: the needle is a small magnet, lined up by the Earth’s field.

Student says: in their own words, why a compass points north.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Pole pairing	Two N poles are brought together	Read both poles first, then decide	They push apart
Material sorting	Iron nail, aluminium can, copper wire, eraser	Test each one and record the result	Only the iron nail is attracted
Testing through materials	A magnet attracts a nail through paper	Keep the same distance for each material	Still attracted; the force passes through paper
Using a compass	Find north in the classroom	Lay it flat, wait for the needle to settle, read the N end	The N end points north

Sanity check (teach this): Reasonableness checks: every conclusion must match the two poles involved; the claim that magnets attract all metals must be refuted with an aluminium can or copper wire on the spot; tests through materials must use the same magnet and the same distance or they are not fair; a compass must be flat before reading; every conclusion needs at least two observations; magnets must be kept away from watches, bank cards and electronics.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
4 pole pairings	N–N, N–S, S–S and S–N	Checks whether poles are read before deciding
6 materials to sort	Including two non-iron metals as traps	Checks whether testing replaced guessing
3 tests through materials	Paper, wood and water	Checks whether distance stayed the same

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Believing every metal is attracted	Putting the aluminium can in the “attracted” pile	“Aluminium and copper are metals but a magnet will not hold them. Test it before you decide.”
Describing the effect without poles	Stopping at “it jumped away”	“It jumped away because both ends are N. Give the poles and then it counts as an explanation.”
Changing the distance between tests	Paper held against the magnet, wood held far away	“Two different distances cannot be compared. Same magnet, same distance.”
Reading a compass while holding it	Lifting the compass to read it	“The needle must swing freely. Lay it flat before you read.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary General Studies chapter index — All chapters in the subject
All lesson-prep guides — Matching chapters in other subjects
Redo this chapter — Re-sort six materials and write why each is not attracted

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Two N poles meet	They repel	Answering “they stick” means going back to the second stage
Do magnets attract every metal?	No, only iron, cobalt and nickel	Answering yes means going back to the third stage
Does it still attract through paper?	Yes	Answering no means going back to the fourth stage
Why does a compass point north?	The needle is a small magnet lined up by the Earth’s field	Answering “because it has a needle” means going back to the fifth stage

09 Tutor FAQ

What if the school has no magnets?

Fridge magnets, bag clasps and magnets from old earphones all work; test first which end is N. The procedure matters, not the equipment.

Should I teach that the Earth’s magnetic poles are reversed?

At P4 it is enough to say the Earth has a magnetic field that makes the needle point north and south; the reversed magnetic pole detail belongs to secondary school and confuses the picture now.

What if a student insists magnets attract all metals?

Do not overrule them; hand over the aluminium can and the copper wire. One counter-example beats ten sentences.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.