Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
Simple Machines
Simple doesn't mean useless. Individuals learn how simple machines benefit the user by changing the amount of effort. A seven-lesson unit begins with an overview of simple machines and then incorporates activities that allow the user to...
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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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Simple Machines in the Home
Students explore simple machines used in the home. In this simple machines activity, students discover that many household items are constructed from simple machines. Students interact with nutcrackers, peelers, egg slicers, and egg...
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Break It Down!
Students explore the everyday implications of system failure. They are challenged to identify the causes of system failure.
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We Have Work To Do - Science
Students begin to think of ways to make work easier. They will focus on ways to extend their abilities to lift heavy things. They will identify levers, pulleys, and inclined planes through the examination of concrete objects and hands on...
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Machines: Not So Simple
Students examine the names and images of simple machines in a matching activity. They build a simple machine using K'NEX before taking and printing out a digital picture of their example. They complete five station activities based on...
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Wheels, Gears, and Compound Machines
Fifth graders read selected pages from their science text and explain forces affected by wheels and axles. They read and discover that gears transfer forces and that gear combinations relate to compound machines.
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The Electromagnetic Crane
Students explore electromagnetism, simple machines and the design process. They use the concepts of electromagnetism to design and build a device that uses an electromagnet, a pulley and a lever using the provided Engineering Design...
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Simple Machines
Fourth graders choose a simple machine and write about they way they believe it will work. Students experiment, write down procedures used and record observations. They will find a picture of the machine and add it to their report.
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Household Tools
Students explore parts of a system. In this simple machines lesson plan, 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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Simple Machines
Eighth graders work together in groups to introduce themselves to the six types of simple machines. They are to record what the machine does, its mechanical advantage and identify real world situations in which they are used. They...
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Konnecting Simple Machines and K'Nex
Students study and identify different types of simple machines and how they work. They design a simple machine.
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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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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...
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Simple Machines - Graphics, Experiments, Animation
Twelfth graders display simple machines through the use of graphics, experiments, and animation. They apply problem solving and design and skills.
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Changes in Force, Motion, and Energy
Eighth graders construct various machines and compare the work done by them.
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Properties of Matter (Biomaterial Through Nanotechnology)
Students investigate friction between different surfaces. In this physics lesson, students research biomaterials that can reduce friction. They calculate efficiency using a mathematical formula.
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Wheels and Axles 1
Students investigate how and why wheels are used in different types of machines. They work in teams trying to move a heavy box with and without dowels and discuss which way is easier to move the box. Next, they conduct an experiment...
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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...
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Simple Machines
Third graders examine and identify the six types of simple machines. Using a model of each simple machine, they demonstrate the state the function of them to the class. They discover examples of simple machines at school and home and...
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Simple Machines
Students engage in a lesson that explores the concept of simple machines. They view a powerpoint media presentation and then are introduced to adult volunteers for the lesson. Each volunteer is at a station with a simple machine and...
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Move It!
Third graders examine simple machines. In this simple machines lesson, 3rd graders observe simple machines at work in a video, then experiment with creating their own simple machines to move objects.
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Challenger's Lost Lessons - The Lost Simple Machines Lesson
Students investigate the characteristics of simple machines. For this simple machine lesson, students investigate work as a product of applying constant force. They answer questions about what happens on Earth and what may have happened...
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Simple Machines, Survivor-Style
Students apply the principles of simple machines to create events in a wacky obstacle course. They work with a partner to prepare a visual presentation and an expository description of the obstacle course. Each group sequentially...