Item Description:

The exercise is intended to show the students how a compass can be affected by placing it near different objects. The students are given a penny and a bar magnet and asked to place these items, one at a time, in the center of a shaded rectangle. The compass is to be placed at five different points around the shaded rectangle. The students are asked to draw arrows to show the direction the compass needle is pointing with each object.

A good response will show that the student understands that a compass needle is magnetic and magnets are attracted to each other, or that a compass needle is attracted to a magnet but not to all metal objects.

Question 1 asks the students to interpret the results of their experiment and explain why either the penny or the magnet caused the compass to work incorrectly.

A good response will show that the student understands that the compass should always point north. when the magnet is placed in the shaded rectangle the compass will point toward the magnet, i.e., causing it to work incorrectly.

Question 2 asks the students to further use their understanding of the effects of a magnet on a compass by asking them to draw arrows on map showing which way a compass will point when placed by a magnet. They are asked to explain why they drew the arrows where they did.

A good response will show the student understands that a magnet attracts the compass needle because the compass is magnetic and magnet attract. Some but not all metals are attracted to a magnet as illustrated by the penny.

Criterion

1	Observation: Magnet with explanation (Q1) (explanation may be very basic and/or based on observations).
2	Properties of magnet: Magnet with explanation (Q1) (explanation must go beyond the observations from the experiment and attempt to explain why the magnet affects the compass)
3	Arrows drawn in the direction of the magnet or it is explained that only the closest ones will. (Q2)
4	Explanations include information about how magnets are attracted to each other or some metal objects are attracted to a magnet. (Patterns of attraction or repulsion - and variability in tendency to attract.)

Criterion 1:
(Q1) The student states that the magnet causes the compass to work incorrectly and an explanation is given. The explanation may be very basic and may be based on observation. For example:
a) The magnet because the compass didn't always point north.
b) The magnet because every time the compass turned a different way.

This criterion is also met if the results of the experiment are misinterpreted. For example:
a) The penny causes it to work incorrectly because the penny will not attract the compass.

No other reason is acceptable for stating the penny caused the magnet to work incorrectly. Also, the statement, "The magnet is really magnet" is unacceptable.

Criterion 2:
(Q1) The student states the magnet causes the compass to work incorrectly and an explanation is given that shows the student understands why the magnet affected the compass. The explanation must go beyond the observations and must discuss properties of magnets.

1. Because the magnet is metal.
2. Because there is metal in the compass.
3. Magnets are attracted to metals.
4. The compass didn't work because of the magnetic force around the magnet.
5. Compass always points north unless another magnet interferes.
   (Note: If this response had been, "unless a magnet interferes," it would have met criterion 1 but not criterion 2. By stating "another magnet," the student recognizes that a compass is magnetic which goes beyond observations made in the experiment.)

^*All responses that meet criterion 2 automatically meet criterion 1.

Criterion 3:
(Q2) Arrows are drawn from al four circles in the direction consistent with the placement of each circle. This criterion is met if:

1. arrows from circle #1 (top of figure), #2 (left of figure), and #3 (right of figure) point toward the top of the page (the magnet in the figure has its north pole indicated at the top); and
   
2. the arrow from circle #4 (bottom of figure) points toward the bottom of the page because the north indicator end of the compass needle (i.e., its south pole) is repelled by the magnet's south pole.

Criterion 4:
The explanation given in question 1 or in question 2, shows the student understands that magnets are attracted to each other (the compass is magnetic, or not all metal objects are attracted to a magnet, i.e. why the magnet and not a penny affects a compass.
For example:

1. A magnet is attracted to some metal objects.
2. Compasses always point north unless another magnet interferes.
3. The magnet because a compass is magnetic.