Activity

Make Your Own Compass

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Make Your Own Compass activity also includes:

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

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Additional Tags
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