Eight pairs of charged circles fill page 1 of this 3rd grade science worksheet. Each circle shows only plus signs or only minus signs, and students write attract or repel on the line under each pair. Page 2 asks them to finish the rules for opposite charges and like charges, then answer four short scenarios: two rubbed balloons, a balloon near hair, a comb near paper bits and two pieces of tape. It ties to NGSS 3-PS2-3, and page 3 is the answer key.
3-PS2-3
“Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.”
Part 1 asks for the interaction of two charged objects. Part 3 gives four everyday cases where students say attract or repel and write a reason.
Eight numbered pairs of circles, with plus signs on some and minus signs on others. One line under each pair for attract or repel.
A word bank of attract and repel, and two sentences to finish: "Opposite charges" and "Like charges".
Four short stories, each with a small picture and three lines: balloons hung side by side, a balloon near your hair, a comb near paper bits and two pieces of tape pulled off a roll.
Each pair marked attract or repel with its signs, the two completed rules and a one-sentence reason for each story.
Guess before the rule
Hand out Part 1 before you teach the rule and let students write what they think. Then have them fill in Part 2 from the pattern they noticed.
Balloon demo
Rub two balloons on wool, hang them side by side and watch them swing apart. Students can then check Part 3 story 1 against what they saw.
Story 3
The comb and paper bits is the hard one, because the paper starts with no charge. Tell students the comb pulls on charges inside the paper and let them keep the answer attract.
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