Curated OER
Simple Machines
Here is an inventive plan that should get your young scientists excited! In it, groups of pupils test out the work done by six different simple machines. The machines are: the wedge, the lever, the inclined plane, the pulley, the screw,...
Curated OER
Simple Machines IV - Levers
The lever is an everyday simple machine. Youngsters learn the principles of levers and explore their many uses. Groups of pupils perform a simple lab where they lift objects with a fulcrum while placing the load in a variety of...
Curated OER
Simple Machines IV - Wheels and Axles
Youngsters are introduced to the basic principles and uses of the wheel and the axle. They come up with every day examples of simple machines and look into why the wheel and the axle are best-used as a paired machine instead of used...
Curated OER
We Have Work to Do!
An excellent lesson plan awaits your young scientists! In it, learners are invited to explore the world of pulleys, levers, and planes; simple machines that make lifting heavy things much, much easier. They watch video, and engage in...
Curated OER
Allowing Students to Explore Simple Physics and Marketing in English Class
Scientific method, linear measurements, friction, inertia. Imagine learning scientific vocabulary in an ELA class. Before researching and developing a presentation about simple machines, class members build a common, but decidedly...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Simple Machines, Ben Franklin and the Technology of the 1700s
Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, and he was fascinated by the mechanics of machinery. Using a fun exploration, pupils examine simple machines from the pre-Industrial era. Then, they must identify and build their own using common objects.
Curated OER
Identify and use Simple Machines
Students are exposed to simple machines and their uses. In this everyday tools activity, students watch a demonstration on how a lever, pulley, ramp, and wheel works. Students are given the opportunity to use hands-on techniques to...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students investigate what simple machines are and how they work. In this simple machine lesson, the students create simple and compound machines and test each machine's ability to perform a task. Students compare simple machines to...
Curated OER
Not So Simple Machines
Learners design a simple machine for a simple machine contest. In this simple machine lesson, students design a simple machine that will solve a problem. They draw a diagram, label it, and test the machine before they present it in a...
Curated OER
Brown Paper Bag Simple Machine
Students explore simple machines. In this simple machines science lesson, students work with a partner to identify what kind of simple machine is represented by a variety of household objects placed in paper bags. Students write down...
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Engines and the Environment
Fourth graders calculate the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane. In this physics lesson plan, 4th graders identify the different types of simple machines and their uses. They give examples of compound machines.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Fourth graders discover the principles and uses of gears noting that they can be used to change the direction of motion or the speed of an object. They may also change the force and/or distance through which an object turns. They then...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students explore the concepts of force and effort by observing simple machines. In this physics lesson, students attempt to sharpen a pencil without any help, bite into an orange with their lips curled over their teeth, and other...
Curated OER
Simple Machines I - Inclined Planes, Wedges, and Screws
The principles and uses of inclined planes, screws, and wedges are the focus of a science lesson. In it, youngsters come up with every day examples of simple machines, and build an example of one in class. That project is then used to...
Curated OER
Simple Machines: The Wede & Lever
Learners describe how wedge and lever makes work easier. For this physics lesson, students analyze experimental data by creating a graph to see the trends. They calculate the work done and mechanical advantage of these simple machines.
Curated OER
A Slide is a Simple Machine
Learners explore inclined planes. In this simple machines lesson, students conduct an experiment on a slide using a rope with a bag. Learners observe the force needed to pull the bag to the top of the slide.
Curated OER
Gadget Anatomy
Sure to be a hit with your charges, here is a science lesson plan that has lots of hands-on activities packed into it. The focus is simple machines, and how they help us perform work. After a discussion and demonstration session, groups...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Simple Machines
Students investigate simple machines and their uses in everyday life. For this scientific method lesson, students examine physical tools such as wedges, screws, and levers using a "how does it work" approach. Students complete...
Curated OER
Can a Mouse Lift an Elephant?
Read Just a Little Bit, by Ann Tompert as an introduction to levers. Discuss playground seesaws and then turn learners loose to experiment with the placement of a fulcrum. Their goal is to determine where to place it in order to lift ten...
Curated OER
Machines All Around Us
Students identify simple machines. In this physics lesson, students explore different rooms in the school building, looking for simple machines. Students use a digital camera to take pictures of the simple machines.
Curated OER
Internet Field Trip: Simple Machines
Students research simple machines. In this physics lesson plan, students participate in a WebQuest to gain knowledge about simple machines. WebQuest activities and worksheets are included in this lesson plan.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Physics at the Art Museum: Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, and Work
Connect science, math, and art for a true interdisciplinary lesson! Learners explore simple machines in art. Through analysis with a physics app, they identify positions of kinetic and potential energy and make conclusions about work.
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Odd Machines
Students explore simple machines. In this physical science lesson, students identify six simple machines, illustrate each and identify how these machines function or can be combined to create a compound machine.