Compass Needle

Stroke a sewing needle with a magnet until it is magnetised and push it through a cork disk. Put the needle into a transparent plastic lid containing water and it turns in a north- south direction. Stick a paper compass card under the lid.

The needle points towards the magnetic North pole of the earth. This lies in North Canada and is not to be confused with the geographical North Pole, round which our earth rotates. 

The deviation (declination) of the magnetic needle from the true north is 80 in London and 150 in New York (in a westerly direction) and l0 in Chicago and 150 in LosAngeles, (in an easterly direction).