Magnets

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about magnets?" Then let them work through it independently, using a partner or small group only if they want to talk through their thinking, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These magnets worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These magnets worksheets for 3rd grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in electricity and magnetism. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about magnets accurately. Working through magnets on paper gives 3rd grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

Yes, both. We made it for 3rd Grade electricity and magnetism, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with magnets. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Magnets teaches students that certain materials are attracted to magnets, that magnets have north and south poles, and that like poles repel while opposite poles attract. Third graders learn to test materials for magnetic properties, predict the behavior of magnets in different orientations, and identify real-world uses of magnets in technology and tools. It builds early understanding of force fields and non-contact forces.

Magnets are typically introduced in Grade 3 physical science as part of the electricity and magnetism unit. At ages 8-9, students are ready for hands-on investigations that let them test predictions and record results, and magnets are ideal for this because the forces are strong enough to feel physically. The topic connects to earlier learning about contact and non-contact forces and lays groundwork for later electricity content.

Gather a handful of small objects from around the house and ask your child to predict which ones a fridge magnet will pick up before testing, then connect their findings to the worksheet activity. The prediction and sorting activities are perfect for independent practice once the magnet concept is introduced. Kids who experiment with real magnets while doing worksheet activities retain the vocabulary far better than those who only read about it.

3 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 3rd Grade students, roughly ages 8-9. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 3rd Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.