STEM ON SCREEN 9-11 Movies And Magic

CLUB LEADER GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicPsychic debunkingObjectiveHEALTH AND SAFETY:A suitable risk assessment using guidance from CLEAPSS and SERCC should bewritten and adhered to for this activity.In this activity, pupils will attemptto recreate a famous television‘psychic’ trick of making a compassneedle move without touching it.Pupils will explore how a magnetcan make a compass needle move.Before starting the activity, remind pupils that sewing needles have sharp,pointed ends and need to be handled with care. Count the needles out and backin to ensure they are accounted for.Small magnets pose a risk if swallowed. Warn pupils not to put them in or neartheir mouths. Children will need to be supervised using them.DELIVERYTOPIC LINKS Science: compareeveryday materials andtheir response to magnetsTIME50 minutesRESOURCES ANDPREPARATIONs mall magnets1Explainthat you were watching an old television show and there was a famous ‘psychic’ who performed a trick - he made a compass needle movewith the ‘power of his mind’.2Ask the pupils to try this out using their own compasses. To make a compass,fill a bowl with water and place a thin section of cork in the centre. Then,magnetise a sewing needle by stroking it against a magnet roughly 40 times.Be sure to only stroke the sewing needle against the magnet in onedirection, not back and forth.3Next,place the sewing needle onto the cork, making sure it is in the centre of the bowl. Let go and watch as it begins to spin and eventually settlespointing north-south. Use another compass to check which end is pointingnorth and which is pointing south.4Nowthat you've made your compasses, can anyone move them with their minds?5 Explain a little about the science behind compasses and see whether anystudents can suggest ways to make the compasses move only using thematerials listed at the top of this guide.c ompassesc orkss ewing needlesb owlsw atercontinued over.

STEM ON SCREEN MOVIES AND MAGIC PSYCHIC DEBUNKING678If no one speaks up, explain that you have a suspicion that there might bean easy way to make the compasses move. Give each pupil a magnet andask them to experiment. Then ask them to explain why the compassesmove, linking to the description you gave earlier about how compassesinteract with the magnetic field of the earth.Howfar away can they hold the magnet and still make the needle move? Can they ‘palm’ the magnet to hide it in their hand to make it look likethe magic trick?What’s going on?The Earth is surrounded by the same type of force that makes magnets attractto certain metal objects. This force is called magnetism. The Earth acts like agiant magnet and creates a magnetic field. The Earth’s magnetic field startsat the South Pole and ends at the North Pole – this is why compasses pointin a north-south direction. However, when another magnetic field gets closeto a compass, like the magnetic field of a magnet, it can change the way thecompass points. Even though the magnetic force from the magnet is muchweaker than the magnetic force from the Earth, it can still affect the compassif it is placed close enough.DIFFERENTIATION IDEASSupport: allow pupils to followthe step by step instructions inthe pupil guide.Challenge: give pupils thematerials and allow them toexperiment before showingthem detailed instructions tobuild their compass.EXTENSION IDEASPupils can use lots of homemadecompasses and magnets to seewhat patterns they can make.For example, challenge pupils to:1Placethe compasses in a circle and put a magnet inthe middle.2Thenmove the magnet around the outside of thecircle and watch as thecompasses move together.3Try using two magnets andplacing them on oppositesides of the circle.4 Try placing a magnet abovea compass.Ask pupils to consider whatthese experiments tell us aboutthe way magnets interact withcompasses and the range ofdifferent magnets?TIPSE xperiment with differentsizes and shapes of magnets.The strongest may not bethe best for the trick if theyare not easy to conceal!H ow far away from thecompass can pupils holdthe magnet and still makethe trick work? Place thecompass on a sheet of paperand plot the range of themagnet.

STUDENT GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicPsychic debunkingYourchallengeThere wasonce a TV‘psychic’ who saidhe could make acompass needle move‘with the power of hismind’. Can you do itwith science?First youneed to make yourvery own compassand test whetherit points north bychecking it againsta real compass.After making yourcompass, you need tosee if you can changewhich directions itpoints. If you can’tmake the compassmove just using yourmind, think aboutwhat else mightwork. The answermight be simplerthan you think!YOUR TASKMAKING A COMPASS1Fill a bowl with water and place a thin section of cork in the centre.2 Stroke a sewing needle against a magnet about 40 times. This willmagnetise your sewing needle. Only stroke the sewing needle againstthe magnet in one direction, not back and forth.3Next,place the sewing needle onto the cork, making sure that it is in the centre of the bowl.4 Let go and watch as it spins. It willeventually stop, pointing northsouth.5 Use another compass to checkwhich end is pointing north andwhich is pointing south.6Now,can you figure out how to make the compass needle movewithout touching it?TIPTry to hide a magnetyour hand. Make it inlooklike a magic trick when youget your compassto move!THINGS TO THINK ABOUT1Howdo compasses work? What are they used for? 2 What steps did you use to make your compass?3Whatcan you use to change which direction your compass points in? 4 Once you’ve made one compass move, could you do something moreinteresting by using lots of compasses at the same time?REPORTCan you film your experiment, making it look like a magic trick, to show toothers?continued over.

STUDENT GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicPsychic debunkingName:NotesFUNFACTS1Someanimals can detect the Earth’s magnetic field. Pigeonshave magnetic cells in their beakthat act like a compass and helpthem to navigate.2The compass was invented over2,000 years ago.3 As long ago as 300–200 BCEChinese explorers were navigatingusing compasses made oflodestones, which are naturallyoccurring magnetic rocks.

CLUB LEADER GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicWhere’s my hoverboard?ObjectiveHEALTH AND SAFETY:A suitable risk assessment using guidance from CLEAPSS and SERCC should bewritten and adhered to for this activity.In this activity, pupils shouldexplore and understand how therepulsion force of magnets can beused to make something levitate.Small magnets pose a risk if swallowed. Warn pupils not to put them in or neartheir mouths. Pupils will need to be supervised using them.DELIVERYTOPIC LINKS Science: compareeveryday materials andtheir response to magnetsD esign and technology:design in the real worldTIME60 minutes1Showa short section from ‘Back to the Future’ where Marty is riding a hoverboard. Explain that this was what the movie makers thought that 2016would look like. Sadly, we don’t have hoverboards (or flying cars) just yet.But is it possible to make something hover like that?2 If you have some, distribute ring magnets and straws/sticks to the pupils,giving them the chance to see the repulsion effects of magnets and begin toconceive of how magnets might be used to make a hoverboard.3Ask pupils if magnets could be used to make a hoverboard. Give them sometime to think and discuss how it might work. What would some possibledifficulties be? (You could distribute flat magnets, or ring magnets withsticks or straws to help facilitate their discussions.) Give pupils a Lego brickand ask them to attach a flat magnet on the bottom with a bit of plasticine.Ask them if their Lego will hover over the desk.4 Discuss what this tells us about hoverboards – a board covered in magnetswouldn’t work around town because it would need an opposing force, suchas another magnet on the ground, to be able to hover. The Earth’s naturalmagnetic field can’t be used because it stretches into space, and therepulsion effect only occurs when the edges of two objects’ magnetic fieldscome together. A ‘real’ hover board has been invented, but it only workswhen placed over an electrified copper floor, as this creates a magnetic field.5Distributeanother magnet to each pupil and ask them to investigate – can they use this to get the Lego to hover, even for a second? Safety note:instruct pupils to attach the second magnet to the table with moreplasticine to avoid them snapping together too quickly.RESOURCES ANDPREPARATIONL ego fl at magnets (several willbe needed for each group)o ptional: ring magnets andsticks or strawsp lasticine/blu tacks ticky tapecontinued over.

STEM ON SCREEN MOVIES AND MAGIC WHERE'S MY HOVERBOARD?6Mostpupils will be familiar with the fact that placing the same poles of a magnet facing each other will cause them to repel. Now ask them tothink about how they could apply that idea to make a train that moveswithout actually touching the track.7 Assist pupils in using the pupil guide to build a simple MagneticLevitation (maglev) train out of Lego .8Encouragepupils to test and modify their designs to improve on the basic instructions.What’s going on?Similar poles of two magnets repel each other and opposite poles attract eachother. In Magnetic Levitation, two similar poles are placed facing each otherso that they repel or push each other apart. This force is stronger than the pullof gravity, so the top magnet will stay floating above the other magnet. Theseare the principles in play behind the levitation of maglev trains.DIFFERENTIATION IDEASSupport: give pupils ringmagnets to explore beforebeginning the discussion.Provide pupils with step by stepinstructions on how to build themodel maglev train.Challenge: give pupils thematerials but do not providethe instructions. Allow themto experiment with their owndesigns. Encourage them toexplore modifications that willimprove its stability or speed.EXTENSION IDEAS1Researchthe Japanese bullet train. Find out whyhovering on magnetsallows it to travel so fast.2Oncepupils have made their maglev models, theycould create designs for theexterior of their train.USEFUL LINKSVideo showing a real hoverboard (but it needs a copper sheet to work)!Instructions for making a simple maglev trainVideo demo for a simple mag-lev trainTIPSC lub leaders are strongly advised topractise on their own before doing thisactivity with pupils.M ake sure that the school has enoughflat magnets for this activity before youbegin. It may be that more magnetsneed to be bought in order to enable allthe pupils to enjoy this activity. Sometypes of sticky magnetic tape can beused as a cost-effective alternative, butyou are strongly advised to test it priorto beginning the session.U se flat magnets to build the maglevtrain. Make sure all the track has thesame pole facing up (e.g. N) and thetrain has all the same pole facing down(also N).

STUDENT GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicWhere’s my hoverboard?YourchallengeAccording tothe ‘Back tothe Future’ films,we should alreadyhave hoverboards bynow. But where arethey? Experts believethat the easiestway for us to makehoverboards wouldbe using magnets. It’sup to you to explorehow magnets work,how they interactwith each other andwhether we can usethe science behindmagnets to makevehicles that hoveroff the ground!You aregoing to experiment,plan and then buildyour own hoveringvehicle using Lego and magnets.YOUR TASKWHAT YOU NEED TO DO1Use sticky tack to attach a bar magnet to the bottom of a piece of Lego . Canit hover over the table? Why not?2Nowexperiment with using a second magnet. Can you get it to hover now – even for a second? Do the magnets want to stay still?3 Now, think about how you might build a train, instead of a board, that usesmagnets to float above the ground. These trains are actually real and they arecalled Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Trains.THINGS TO THINK ABOUT1Do the magnets try to flip over? Why do they do this?2Howcan the magnets stop gravity from pulling the Lego to the ground? 3Howwill you get your train to stay on the track? 4Willthe train flip over? How will you make sure your train doesn’t flip over? HOW TO BUILD A MAGLEV TRAIN1 Create a track for your train with Lego .2Attacha line of flat magnets to the track. Make sure the same pole is facing up for all of them!3Nowuse another Lego piece as your train. Attach a flat magnet to the bottom, remember, magnets always try to have their opposite poles facingeach other so that the magnets attract. But you need the magnets to repel.Test the train on the track, what happens?4Thinkabout how you can improve your train so that it moves easily along the track and doesn’t flip or stick. Can you design and then build a solution?continued over.

STUDENT GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicWhere’s my hoverboard?5Testyour design and make changes if needed. w hat happens if you make it lighter?REPORTThink about your Maglevtrain and how youdesigned and tested it:w hat happens if you make it heavier?w hat happens if you add extra magnets?w hat did you do to stopthe train from flippingor sticking?t ry out different design ideas for your trainw hat makes your train move faster or farther?6Can you think of any ways you could change the train or thetrack to make your Maglev Train travel more smoothly or faster?Nw hat changes did youmake so that it ranmore smoothly orfaster?d id you make changesto the track and how didthis affect your train?Magnetsc an you think of anyother changes youwould like to make?Sw hat did you learnabout magnets?Lego Glue or sticky tackFUNFACTS1The speed record for Japan’s Bullet Train is currently 603 km/h. That’s 374 mph! Ituses magnets to hover 10cm above the track2 real hoverboard has finally been made. However, the floor needs to be covered inAcopper for it to work

CLUB LEADER GUIDE 9-11Movies and magicThe camera never liesObjectiveHEALTH AND SAFETY:A suitable risk assessment using guidance from CLEAPSS and SERCC should bewritten and adhered to for this activityIn this activity, pupils explore a simplemovie effect that can make one actorappear far bigger, or far smaller, thananother. Pupils should explore thesetechniques and understand the idea offorced perspective.Be sure to have the necessary permission to film the pupils and closely followthe school’s health and safety policy on such matters. If there is any doubt, useonly the Lego figures.DELIVERYTOPIC LINKSD T: build TV/moviesets and use precisemeasurements to createthe effect of forcedperspective.1Havethe pupils ever seen ‘The Lord of the Rings’, or the ‘Harry Potter’ movies? How do they think the filmmakers made some of the actors appearsmall like a hobbit or tall like Hagrid?2Sometimes,the filmmakers used very tall or very short actors as stand-ins, but this wouldn’t have worked if they had wanted to see the real actors’faces. So, instead, they used something called ‘forced perspective’.3Explainto the children the idea of forced perspective and how it links to distance and one’s visual field. Go outside and ask the students to cover up alarge, distant object (not the sun, as it may damage their eyes) with theirthumb. Explain that while the distant object (for example, the schoolbuilding) is much larger than their thumb, their thumb can take up the sameamount of their visual field as it is much closer to their eye. In the same way,filmmakers can make small things appear bigger or smaller by placing themcloser to or farther away from the camera’s lens.4Ask the pupils to try it out by holding two Lego figures up in front of theirfaces and closing one eye. They should move a figure nearer and one furtheraway and describe how they look. Filmmakers can make actors look very bigby making them stand closer to the camera, or smaller by making themstand farther away from the camera.5Pupilsshould try to film it with a digital camera (or tablet) and two figures. omputing: use DigitalCDevices to create ContentTIME30 minutesRESOURCES ANDPREPARATIONt ablets or digital camerasL ego mini-figures orsimilar action figurest ripod or stand for camerae xtra – materials to buildsets with, either for Lego figures or for the pupils tointeract with r ulerscontinued over.

STEM ON SCREEN MOVIES AND MAGIC WHERE'S MY HOVERBOARD?6If they can do it with small figures, could they try it out with real people? Showexamples to the pupils of holiday pictures at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, theEiffel Tower or the Bolivian Salt Flats where forced perspective is used to makeit seem like people are interacting with their surroundings in unusual ways. Getpupils in groups and have them take turns being the actors and filming thescene.What’s going on?Forced perspective is a technique that uses an optical illusion to distort the way thatsomething looks on screen. When looking forward normally, you see an image. Thedistance from the bottom of this image to the top of this image (and from the leftside to the right side) is known as your visual field. Small things that are close to youreye and large things that are far away from your eye can take up the same amountof space in your visual field. Think about using your thumb to cover up the sun inyour visual field. When looking normally in 3D, the human brain can determinehow far from your eye an object is, so the forced perspective effect doesn’t work.However, when we view images on a 2D screen, the forced perspective effect works.Using this effect, filmmakers can make actors appear huge by having them standcloser to the camera (and take up a larger amount of the camera’s visual field),or tiny by making them stand farther from the camera (thus taking up a smalleramount of the camera’s visual field), and the audience doesn’t realise.DIFFERENTIATION IDEASSupport: rather than creating a film, have thestudents take a photo where the optical effect offorced perspective is present. Use the holiday picturessuggested above to explain what they need to do.Challenge (Maths Link): ask the pupils to use precisemeasurements to make students in their class all lookthe same height in a picture. Explain that, because ofthe concept of forced perspective, if a person is twiceas big as another, they’d have to stand twice as farfrom a camera to appear the same size in a picture.By measuring everyone’s height and placing them atrelative distances from the camera, everyone in theclass should be able to take up the same amount of thecamera’s visual field, making them appear the same sizein a photo/video.USEFUL LINKSHow to make a HobbitHow the Lord of the Rings used Forced PerspectiveRead more about forced perspective in filmsEXTENSION IDEAS1Pupilscould create some outsized props to use intheir scene to emphasisethe size differences, such asa tiny cup or a giant pencil.Can they get the scalecorrect?TIPSU se a stand or tripod to fix the camera/tablet in position and stop it movingwhile the shot is set up.Y ou could illustrate this by showing ascene from ‘Lord of the Rings, such asGandalf arriving in Hobbiton near thestart of ‘Fellowship of the Ring’, ridingon the cart with Frodo.A lternatively, look at some of thethousands of pho

STEM ON SCREEN 9-11 Movies and magic STEM Learning activity resources Key information AGE RANGE: 9-11. SUBJECT LINKS: science, mathematics, design and technology, computing. DURATION: activities range from 20 to 90 minutes – at least 6 hours in total. FLEXIBILITY: complete the whole programme over a half term or cho