Experiment with the center of gravity by stacking blocks in a way that appears to defy its force. This is a fascinating demonstration that you can use when teaching about gravity, forces, or balance. 

Here is a tri-faceted resource that has a slide show, a quiz, and a vocabulary list that you can use to teach simple machines. Six machines are introduced: wheels and axles, planes, levers, pulleys, wedges, and screws. Slides contain...

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...

Examples and practice questions will help real-life understanding of the Principle of Moments concept. These great slides define the types of levers and pivots, and then give examples of the typical seesaw situations that help the...

In this earthquake exploration worksheet, students complete 2 prior knowledge questions, then use "Levers Gizmo" to conduct several activities, completing short answer questions when finished.

Students observe relationships between quantities. Students complete activities for three different classes of levers. In groups, students build each type of lever. Students identify levers in their daily surroundings. Students observe...

Learners investigate simple machines. In this simple machines lesson, students construct two simple machines and describe what they do. Learners show that simple changes help machines do work with less effort. Students use a paper clip...

Students build models of types of levers. In this simple machines activity, students use dowels and modified wooden rulers to build different types of levers. They compete to create the most efficient lever in the class.

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.

In this levers instructional activity, students create a lever using a yardstick, a cardboard stand as the fulcrum and a cup of pennies as the load. They measure the distance from the fulcrum to the load, they measure the load and they...

In this lever worksheet, students build a lever using cardboard, a yardstick and paper cups with pennies. They vary the distance the effort is from the fulcrum and determine how much effort is needed to lift the load.

In this levers worksheet, students compare the three classes of levers. Students determine how the location of the fulcrum effects the amount of force needed. Then students complete 20 fill in the blank questions and 6 word problems.

Fifth graders participate in a review discussion of the parts of a lever, resistance or load, fulcrum, and effort. Next, they complete activities at six experiment stations while collecting data that they share with the class. While...

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...

Students engage in a instructional activity that concentrates on the use of a lever and fulcrum. They define how a lever is used to lift a load. The instructional activity has background information to justify it. Students demonstrate...

Students identify and analyze how levers work by raising a brick with a shish kebab skewer. Students present their work, explaining what did and did not work, including illustrations of the lever lift from different angles. Students...

Students discover the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines. They practice basic engineering theory through their hands-on demonstrations of levers.

Students discover the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines. They investigate basic engineering theory through their hands-on demonstrations of levers.

Students design and build their own catapult. In this physics less, students identify the different parts of a lever. They cite real world applications of lever.

Fourth graders explore simple machines. In this science instructional activity, 4th graders conduct experiments in which they determine the best position for a fulcrum. Students experiment to find the placement that makes it easier to...

Students examine levers that exist in the human body.  In this body function lesson students complete a lab activity that models how the elbow is a third class lever. 

Students investigate lever systems in the human body and compare arm anatomy to model.  In this human levers instructional activity students graph and analyze their results.

Young scholars explore the relationship between force and the distance of the load from the fulcrum.  In this experimental lesson students get into groups and make a lever and record the force that is needed to move it, they then try...

In this lever worksheet, students determine the ideal mechanical advantage for different classes of levers. This worksheet has 6 problems to solve.