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Farming 1: Farm Machines
Students examine how machines help people grow food. They study specialized types of farm machines and the tasks they perform. They complete handouts matching images of the machines with text.
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Simple Machines
Young scholars discover that simple machines reduce the effort required in a task. For this simple machines lesson students see demonstrations of simple machines.
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Simple Machines
Third graders listen to a short story entitled, "Phil's Adventures" from a book called Animal Stories. They stop at each obstacle in the story and do a quick write about how they would overcome the obstacle and draw a picture to...
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Powerful Pulleys
Students explore the building of a pyramid and how pulleys were used to change the direction of applied force. They demonstrate the mechanical advantage of using a pulley and apply it to modern engineering.
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Using Fulcrums
Learners engage in a lesson that concentrates on the use of a lever and fulcrum. They define how a lever is used to lift a load. The lesson has background information to justify it. Students demonstrate how to use the lever while lifting...
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Simple Machines/Technology
Third graders examine the concept of work as the movement of an object through a distance. They define gravity and determine what type of work is caused by gravity. They measure how far an object is moved by a force. They make a...
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Machinery In Society
Students explore technology by completing a worksheet in class. In this common machinery lesson, students define the different designs that make simple machines work such as wheels, pulleys and gears. Students utilize verbs to describe...
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Gadget Anatomy
Fifth graders examine and identify different simple machines that make up complex machines. They analyze and discuss different gadgets and appliances brought in from home, then in small groups examine one of the machines in detail. ...
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Experiments with Levers
Students investigate levers. In this simple machine lesson, students study levers and the mechanical advantage of using levers. They will collect data and illustrate their systems for eight different tests.
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Household Tools
Students explore parts of a system. In this simple machines lesson, students discover that simple machines are composed of two or more systems. Students examine household tools and assess the parts of the system.
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Who's the Frog Jumping Champion?
Students use a simple machine (a lever) to launch a plastic frog. students determine who is able to make their frog "jump" the farthest and graph the results.
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Is a Pulley a Special Kind of Lever?
Fifth graders use information from their text to read and discuss pulleys and levers. They examine a top sketch of the arrangement of a fixed pulley. Working in groups, 5th graders perform experiments to test the effect of using a pulley...
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Incline Planes
Students determine the forces necessary to move a truck on an inclined plane with weight and slope as variables. They identify the cheapest way to transport trash to local garbage disposal sites.
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Introduction to Work
Fifth graders define work, force, and energy and calculate work done using a simple formula. They observe the teacher using an Equi-beam and identify the fulcrum, calculate different work problems, and participate in a class discussion.
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TE Activity: Pulley'ing Your Own Weight
Students experiment with common objects such as spools, string and soap to determine how pulleys make it easier to move large objects. They look at the difference between fixed and movable pulleys. They examine the many uses engineers...
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Goldberg's Gears
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the design principles employed by the engineer Reuben Goldberg. They read a biographical sketch of the artist and then create the context for studying how machines work. They create...
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Simple Machines/Technology/ Force
Third graders study and define force. They determine that the cause of movement is pushing or pulling which are the types of force used when operating simple machines. They experiment to determine which object requires the most amount of...
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Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
Sixth graders discuss how people, society, and technology change over time through a unit of integrated lessons. In these changes in society lessons, 6th graders discuss the answers to many questions about how changes effect the...
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Simple Machines - Levers
Fourth graders lift objects with the fulcrum and load in various positions and then experiment with how much force is exerted by the effort and load arms of the lever. They place 5 paper clips in the load and move the fulcrum to match...
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What is a Class One Lever?
Fifth graders understand what a lever is, how it works and what the parts of a lever are. For this first class lever lesson, 5th graders label pictures and design a lab lever. Students predict the outcome of experiments with their lever...
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Simple Machines I - Inclined Planes, Wedges, and Screws
Fourth graders examine the physics behind and uses for inclined planes, screws, and wedges. They determine examples of how these simple machines are used in daily life. Working in three small groups, they move from station to station...
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Machines: Useful But Dangerous
First graders study, observe, and use a simple machine. They study necessary safety and review posted safety rules related to using a machine and identify strategies for reporting any accidents or injuries.
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Technology Benchmark
Students examine examples of writing samples from NCS Mentor and discuss with students what makes each writing piece earn points. They grade a writing sample on the program and discuss various simple machines and their components.
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Simple Machine Test
Young scholars complete several worksheets about machines. In this machine activity students complete several handouts that describe the different machines and how pulleys work.