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Simple Machines, Odd Machines
Students recognize and identify common objects that can be used as a lever. In this simple machines lesson, students experiment with materials to design and construct a machine that uses a lever. Students also design and build a catapult.
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Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine
Students design and construct a Rube Goldberg machine that accomplishes a simple task in at least ten steps. They view and discuss various Rube Goldberg designs, identify types of simple machines, and in small groups produce a schematic...
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An Introduction to Simple Machines
Students investigate simple machines and their uses in everyday life. In this scientific method lesson, students examine physical tools such as wedges, screws, and levers using a "how does it work" approach. Students complete...
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My Crazy Contraption
Fourth graders design a contraption, which contains five different examples of simple machines and works without intervention. They sketch designs and label its parts. They present their creations to the class and relate them to Rube...
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Power: Work and Energy
Students explore how work and energy create power. They complete activities involving simple machines, energy, energy conversion, and the role of conductors and insulators. They choose from a menu of options the activities they would...
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Can You Bear It? Pulleys, Gears, Forces, Structures and Mechanisms
Students review the types of simple machines. As a class, they focus on the positives and negatives of pulleys and gears and identify what pulleys and gears change of an object. They work together to design their own object to support a...
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Creating a Simple Telegraph Machine
Students experiment and discuss circuits and how they work. In this science activity, students construct a telegraph machine using cardboard, wires, battery, electric tape and masking tape. They investigate what happens as the circuits...
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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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Smoses Toy Expo
Young scholars research one of the simple machines listed in the lesson and review several simple machine websites to complete their research. Students use software and a watch a video to learn more about machines. Young scholars...
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Monkeying Around
Third graders study machines. They watch a video about and identify and chart machines they find at home and at school. They design and build simple and compound machines, create an advertisement for them and attempt to sell them at the...
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Agriculture in Motion
Youngsters learn about simple machines that could be used on a farm. They learn about agricluture, listen to a farmer speak, compare and contrast different farm machines, and then design their own. Note that although the publisher...
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Designing a Playground!
Students design their own playground equipment. In this design lesson, students take pictures of equipment they like and make a class pictograph of their favorite ones. They investigate the design, research equipment around the world,...
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Picture This: A Book Full of Patterns!
Students create pattern books. In this math patterns lesson, students create various patterns using manipulatives. Students take digital photographs of the patterns and create books.
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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.
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A Tour of the Solar System
Students construct a spacecraft out of Lego blocks and other materials. They work on their models in small groups while building. They become familar with the planets while working cooperatively.
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Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer
Students study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering lesson, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Students then design their own...
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A McTrip Back In Time
Students pretend they are time-travellers and travel back to 1954 to a McDonald's Restaurant to see how prices have changed. They need to add and subtract money with regrouping.
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Forces Applied to an Object
Fourth graders predict, observe, and compare what happens when a force is applied to an object. In this forces lesson, 4th graders complete a 'swinging hammer' activity to learn about forces and motion.
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Cross Country Adventure
Students practice measurement and geography in this lesson. They build a Lego vehicle using an RCX. They predict how many seconds it will take their vehicle to reach a specific state on the United States of America map that each group of...
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Sea Animal Slide Show
Students cllassify sea animals into groups based on certain attributes. They create a picture on ClarisWorks for Kids. They write/wordprocess their own name and copy words from immediate environment to label sea animals.
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Electrical motors
Students investigate and experiement with a 9-volt motor. They will use the connecting wire and battery pack to discover fans.