Experiment with the compass in this tutorial to see how it responds to magnetic fields.

Create a magnetic field that is stronger than Earth so a compass needle will orient itself to the new field in this activity.

This set of activities has middle schoolers using everyday items (batteries, magnets, compasses, iron and paper clips) to reveal the connection between electricity and magnetism. Ideally, students will already have experience building...

In this activity, students will create their own simple compass, be able to explain how a compass works, understand that the Earth's magnetic field has both horizontal and vertical components, and learn more about cardinal directions.

Explains what a magnetic compass is and how it works.

This site provides a lesson plan which includes a hands-on activity about magnetism and magnetic fields. Parts of the plan would be easily adaptable as a student project (for any grade level).