TECHNOLOGY LESSON
Magnetic and non-magnetic metals
Recycling scrap metals
GRADE 7 TERM 3 WEEK 1 (gr 7 ATP week6)
TOPIC METHODOLOGY RESOURCES
WHAT I AM HOW I AM GOING WHAT I AM GOING TO USE?
GOING TO TO TEACH?
TEACH?
Practical Revise magnetism Use the following video for revision:
demonstration by (previous week) Magnetism
the teacher on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXCe
Magnetic and non Educator read and uSiTOug
– magnetic metals. discuss the content.
Practical investigation
Case study: Educator does the You will need the following:
TEACHERS practical investigation
Recycling scrap • Magnets
metals. Honest as a demonstration Various items made of:
gleaners who lesson. • Steel,
collect scrap metal • Iron,
Try to find items made
and deliver it to • Copper,
of steel, cast-iron,
scrap metal • Nickel,
brass, copper, nickel,
dealers perform a • Brass,
aluminium and lead.
valuable service to • Aluminium
society. This good Read the questions for • Lead
work is tainted by the activity and If possible:
the criminal acts of learners complete it • Jewelry made of gold and silver
thieves who steal on their own.
copper telephone You can use the following videos to
wire and steel demonstrate the practical investigation:
manhole covers.
Are all metals attracted to magnets?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgy5l
aDEkBU
Are all metals magnetic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzNB
5xt7ex0
LEARNERS’ Learners complete the table (Magnetic and non-magnetic metals) after the
ACTIVITIES educator demonstrated (page 3).
Learners complete the activity on recycled metals (page 4).
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Magnetic and non-magnetic metals
You learnt about magnetism and magnets last week. You also know that non-metals like wood
and plastic do not stick to magnets, while some metals do. We say that these metals are
magnetic. Look at the objects made of different metals in the images below.
Picture
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Practical investigation:
Your teacher will demonstrate by testing some of these items shown above to see if they are
magnetic or not. Then complete the table below.
Which of the objects are made of magnetic metals? Copy and complete the table below: Material Is the material
magnetic? Yes No Steel pylon Cast-iron pot Silver trumpet (brass coated with silver) Copper beading Brass horn Lead
solder Gold earrings Nickel fittings (steel coated with nickel) Steel cable Aluminium computer parts Bronze pot Tin
can (steel coated with tin) Steel keys How many pure metals are magnetic? If you said only three, then you are
correct. They are iron, nickel and cobalt. Steel is also magnetic because it contains iron. Many people think that tin is
magnetic, but it is not. The tins that you buy food and other household goods in are actually made of very thin steel
and are covered with another thin layer of tin to stop them from corroding. When you place a magnet next to a tin
can, it is attracted to the iron in the steel, not the tin. Often, you will see iron that has rusted. This is called corrosion.
Rusty iron is still magnetic.
Investigation: Test which metals are magnetic
Common metal objects
In your daily life you see many useful metal objects around you. Some are very big, such as cars and buses. Some are
very small, such as paperclips. Draw up a table like the one below, with enough rows for 15 objects. 1. In the first
column, list 15 metal items that you use or often see around you. 2. In the second column, write down what metal
each object is made of. If an object consists of more than one metal, write down which metal makes up the biggest
part. For example, cars are mainly made of steel. 3. Test the items to see whether they are magnetic or not. Write
down your results in the last column.
How many pure metals are magnetic?
If you said only three, then you are correct. They are:
• Iron
• Nickel
• Steel (Steel is magnetic because it contains iron)
Cobalt is also a magnetic metal.
Many people think that tin is magnetic, but it is not. The tins that Rust:
When a metal is in
you buy food and other household goods in are actually made of
contact with oxygen, it
very thin steel and are covered with another thin layer of tin to stop forms rust over time. Iron
them from corroding. When you place a magnet next to a tin can, rust is also magnetic. Tin
it is attracted to the iron in the steel, not the tin. and zinc don’t rust easily,
so we use them to
Often, you will see iron that has rusted. This is called corrosion. Rusty protect iron and steel.
iron is still magnetic.
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Case study: Recycling scrap metals
Many things we use every day is made of metal. We use different Recycling means to use
metals to help us with almost everything we do. This means that something over and over
factories need a constant supply of metal so that they can keep again. It may be in a
manufacturing all these items. We use millions of tons of steel, different form, but we use
aluminium and other metals every year. But the Earth’s supply of the basic materials again
metal will eventually run out. Can you think of the problems this will and again.
lead to?
The answer is to recycle the scrap metal. Everything that is made of metal can be broken up and
sorted into its basic parts and used again.
• This will help to save the country millions of rand each year.
• It will also stop us from using up all the planet’s resources.
• Metal is ideal for recycling as it can be melted down and reused without losing its strength.
Collecting scrap metal
The process of collecting scrap metal for recycling starts when people learn to not throw metal
objects away. Everything made of metal can be recycled and everyone must make sure that
nothing that can be reused is thrown away.
At home, make sure that all small metal objects, such as empty tins, are collected separately and
sent to recycling centres. Bigger objects such as old household appliances will be collected by
scrap metal dealers. Scrap metal dealers sort the different types of metals they collect into piles
and send these to the factories. The factories then melt down the metal objects so that the metal
can be used again. Scrap metal dealers use large magnets to pull out the magnetic metals from
the piles. This speeds up the process.
Making money from recycling
To encourage people not to waste valuable materials that can be recycled, scrap metal dealers
will pay for scrap metal. They usually pay by mass, so it does not really matter what shape or form
the metal comes in, it is the mass that counts.
But this can create problems too. Some people steal metal objects such as steel manhole covers
and copper wire from telephone and electricity cables, to try and make money. Stealing these
articles is not only dishonest, but it also puts other people in danger. If manhole covers are stolen,
then there are holes in the roads that people can drive or fall into. Stolen electricity cables can
cause loss of power.
Activity: Answer the questions below in your workbook.
1. Do you think there are metal items that scrap metal dealers should not accept from people
trying to sell them? Write down the items you think scrap metal dealers should not buy.
2. List a few scrap metal objects that people can collect to sell to scrap metal dealers.
3. If you were collecting scrap metal to sell to a scrap metal dealer, how would you show that
you had gathered the items legally? Here is an example: “I would get the owner of the house
to give me a letter saying that he or she gave me the items.” Write down any other steps you
could take.
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