Chicago Children's Museum
Simple Machines: Force and Motion
Get things moving with this elementary science unit on simple machines. Through a series of nine lessons including teacher demonstrations, hands-on activities, and science experiments, young scientists learn about forces, motion, and...
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Simple Machines
Fifth graders create a Power Point presentation to relate to their study of simple machines. They create a title page, a page introducing six simple machines, slides explaining real world use to each simple machine and import pictures...
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Ins and Outs of Simple Machines
Students explore the ins and outs of simple machines. They discover the various roles of simple machines, who uses them, where they can be found and how they actually work. Students create a compound machine using simple machines.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Machines
What do science and dance have in common? Simple machines, work, and force! First, children discuss machines, wheels, inclined planes, and wedges. They create inclined planes with their bodies and make up dances about wheels and wedges....
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Simple Machines
Students explain how simple machines work and design their own machine. They use the Internet for research.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Physics at the Art Museum: Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, and Work
Connect science, math, and art for a true interdisciplinary instructional activity! Learners explore simple machines in art. Through analysis with a physics app, they identify positions of kinetic and potential energy and make...
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Making Life Easier
Students use a chart of the six simple machines and become aware of how the machines improve our ability to meet the following needs: shelter, food, water, and transportation. Students use model cars to experiment with force. They divide...
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Transference of Energy
Sixth graders create a simple airplane to show energy. In this energy lesson, 6th graders make an airplane from a pencil, thumb tacks, and a plastic lid. They make the propeller spin by pressing on the thumbtacks with a ball point pen.
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Match the Machine
Students identify simple machines found in different environments. In this matching lesson, students match the machine with the place it belongs.
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Simply Unique
Students identify, compare and contrast simple machines and their functions. They work together in groups to complete experiments using the simple machines. They write in their journals to reflect on the lesson.
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Row, Tow, Pull Your Boat
Third graders use previous knowledge and research to analyze and solve a scenario relating to the use of simple machines and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They present their findings to the class in oral presentations.
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Getting Geared Up!
Young scholars create their own Power Point presentation displaying clip art pictures of simple machines and telling how each machine makes tasks easier. They break into small groups and review information on simple machines from website...
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Moving Along With Simple Machines: Introduction
Students observe examples of gravity, friction, and force on the playground. They then experiment and participate in a variety of activities in centers back in the classroom.
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Science: Invent a Gadget
Third graders invent gadgets using simple machine principles. Once they have assembled graphic organizers containing information about their invention, they draw diagrams and explain how their gadget works. Lastly, 3rd graders write...
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Flight Dreams: Birds Flew First
Students observe how bird flight and machine flight are similar. In this aerodynamics lesson, students observe how birds fly and the shapes of their wings, and investigate how observing birds helped develop the concept of machine flight....
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Vegetable Flowers with Homemade Ranch Dip
Vegetables aren't just things we can grow to eat; now they are things we can grow to create art! Use this cute and kid-friendly recipe during your next Earth Day celebration. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to turn...
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Help, I can't reach it!
Students learn the major organ systems in the human body and research simple machines on the Internet; They design an informational brochure about a medical profession and present that career topic to the class.
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Make a Lever
Students investigate how to make a lever. In this construction lesson plan, students explore how to construct a lever using dog and tail templates, cardboard, and fasteners. Students construct their simple machine in order to learn about...
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Exploring the Properties of Matter in the Preschool
Students study the properties of the physical and natural world. In this properties of the physical and natural world lesson, preschool students work at discovery tables to see how simple machines work, what happens when items are put...
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Invention
Students create an invention, or simple machine, out of items taken from the recycling bin. Students draw diagrams of their proposed inventions, then create simple machines.
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Alexander Calder: Master of Balance
Students build simple mobiles. In this equilibrium instructional activity, students investigate the functions of three types of levers as they analyze artwork by Alexander Calder. Students then create their own simplified mobiles.
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My Place In Space
The purpose of this unit is for young scholars 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.
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Forms of Energy
Students, working in expert groups, study a form of energy. They plan a slide show presentation using pictures, clip art, and student taken digital pictures that show the energy type they have become experts in. They use a planning sheet...
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-The Gadget War
Students read The Gadget War by Betsy Duffey. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding inventors and inventions. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library connections.