Magnetic Fields and Electromagnets — Interactive Lesson (Ages 11–14)

Scrapyard cranes lift whole cars with magnets they can switch on and off. This 18-slide interactive lesson on electromagnets takes pupils from first ideas to exam-style explanations, with 10 self-marking activities and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Teaching Magnetic Fields and Electromagnets in KS3 Science

Pupils predict attraction and repulsion between poles, sort magnetic and non-magnetic materials and interpret magnetic field line diagrams. They explain how a compass responds to the Earth's magnetic field, describe how to build an electromagnet, identify three ways to make it stronger and match electromagnets to uses such as cranes, bells, door locks and MRI scanners.

What Pupils Will Learn

• Describe the forces between magnetic poles.
• Draw and interpret magnetic field lines.
• Explain how a compass works and describe the Earth's magnetic field.
• Describe how to make an electromagnet.
• Explain how to make an electromagnet stronger, and give its uses.

What’s Included

• 18-slide interactive lesson on electromagnets
• 10 self-marking activities: multiple-choice questions, true-or-false checks, sorting tasks, drag-and-drop categorising and fill-in-the-gap questions
• Step-by-step teaching cards that reveal one point at a time
• A written explanation task with a model answer for self-assessment

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — open it on an interactive whiteboard, laptop or tablet
• Instant feedback explains every answer, right or wrong
• Everyday examples make physics feel real
• Works for whole-class teaching, independent study or revision

Curriculum Alignment

Supports the UK Key Stage 3 Science curriculum and Nigerian Junior Secondary Basic Science (JSS1), building the foundations pupils need for GCSE, WAEC and NECO.

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FAQ

What year groups is this for? Year 7 (ages 11–14), and JSS1 in Nigeria.

Is it self-marking? Yes — all 10 activities give instant feedback.

Do pupils need to log in? No. The lesson runs in any modern web browser.

Can I use it for revision? Yes. Pupils can replay it as often as they like, and the results screen shows which questions to review before a test.