What a fantastic morning we have had today! Yesterday we learnt all about contact forces and today we were learning about non-contact forces including gravity and air resistance, magnetism and electrostatic. To start the day we used 2 magnets and iron filings to show how the magnetic fields around the magnets and how the opposite poles attract each other (North attracts South) and that the same poles repel each other (North repels North). After break, we looked at gravity and air resistance with groups of children designing and building their own parachute - we timed each parachute to see which one took the longest to travel to the ground. The designs were great and all children could explain how the parachute needed more air resistance to make it travel slower. Once tidied up, the children tested electromagnetic forces. Firstly, we used a cloth, a plastic rod and some little pieces of paper. The children had to charge the rod by rubbing it with the cloth and then ones positively charged were able to pick up the little pieces of paper using the electromagnetic force. After that, the children tested electromagnetic forces in another way by rubbing balloons on their heads and trying to stick them to the wall - safe to say we had some great hairstyles at lunch time. 

Again I would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Woolley for coming in to teach us about forces and magnets.