Curated OER
The Saturday Morning Superhero:
Learners explore the concept of engineering design. In this engineering design process lesson, students read The Saturday Morning Superhero and discuss the problem solving steps that the main character encounters as he creates...
Curated OER
Investigating Pulleys
Students investigate pulleys and see how they have a mechanical advantage in lifting heavy loads. In this pulley lesson plan students make a hypothesis, complete and experiment then complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Construction Worker Book
Students examine simple tools that are used in everyday life. In this construction worker tools lesson, students decide which tools should be used to solve the construction worker's problems in a manner that demonstrates the Simple...
Curated OER
Investigation: Crazy Caterpillars
First graders explore biology patterns by creating a model insect. For this patterns lesson, 1st graders utilize snap cubes and pattern blocks to recreate their own version of a centipede or caterpillar. Students create their...
Curated OER
Inclined Planes
Young scholars break into small groups with each group using 3 books, a board with pulleys attached at both ends, a toy cart, a small paper cup with a long piece of string attached the end and some pennies. They test their guesses to see...
Curated OER
The Sum of the Parts
Second graders observe some everyday common objects in order to attempt to learn about simple systems and how they fit together. They observe small details in order to identify the parts of a whole design.
Curated OER
Watch It Slide!
Students work together to examine inclined planes. They create a plan to raise rocks to build pyramids. They discover the changes that occur when the angle is increased or decreased.
Curated OER
Hickory Dickory Dock Webquest
Pupils listen to and read nursery rhymes. They discuss rhyming words. Students play a variety of computer games with rhymes, numbers and telling time. They retell the story through dramatic play, speech, and comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Egyptians as Engineers
Student design and build Lego vehicles that drag given amount of weight up an incline. They show how this demonstrates Egyptian methods of pyramid construction.
Curated OER
Call to Arms: Robotic Analogues for Human Structures
Investigate deep sea discovery through the emerging technology being built. In this physical science instructional activity, students analyze the different types of motion available in the human arm. Students research...
Curated OER
My Place In Space
The purpose of this unit is for students to make the rich set of connections between astronomy and the rest of science and technology, language arts, cultural studies (social studies), math, art, and music.
Curated OER
Four Forces of Flight
Students explore the four forces of flight. They investigate the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight (gravity). They experiment with flight-testing various objects commonly found around the house and constructing paper...
Curated OER
Sparky's Engineer Activity Book
Students complete their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book. In this engineering instructional activity, students are guided by their teacher in completing their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book which reviews what engineers make and what...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Crank Mechanism
In this challenge, students will transfer rotational motion into linear motion by building a simple machine. The site also includes tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Simple Machines
Through a five-lesson series with five hands-on activities, students are introduced to six simple machines - inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, pulley, wheel-and-axle - as well as compound machines, which are combinations of two or...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Simple Machines From Pyramids to Skyscrapers
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier, and which people have used to provide mechanical advantage for thousands of years. Students learn about the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane,...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Cam Mechanism
Create a simple machine that transfers a rotational motion into linear vertical motion with this challenge. The site gives more details on the challenge as well as tips and place to document your design process. Teachers can find a...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Joint Mechanism
This website challenges students to make a simple machine out of a straw to mimic the movement of joints in your body. The website includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their design process.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Inventions Using Simple Machines Project
Students will have completed a unit on the six simple machines (lever, inclined plane, pulley, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle) before beginning this project. Students will choose to investigate an invention composed of one or more...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Robotic Face
Build a robotic face that can make facial expressions using simple machines on this website. This website includes the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Design and Build a Rube Goldberg
In this two-part activity, students design and build a Rube Goldberg machine. The open ended problem uses the engineering design process and can have a preset purpose, such as rolling a marble into a cup from a distance, or can be left...
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Build a Lever
Step-by-step illustrated instructions for an experiment investigating how a lever works. An explanation of the science involved is given at the end.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Blossoms: Using Geometry to Design Simple Machines
An MIT engineering professor offers a fun presentation on simple machines, specifically the geometry involved in building them. Students will learn about kinematics ("geometry in motion") and build their own simple machines with a...
Other
Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing and Testing a Crane [Pdf]
By the end of this project, students will be familiar with the 6 different simple machines and will be able to identify how these machines are used in products and tools they use on a daily basis. They will investigate how mechanical...