Curated OER
Powerful Pulleys
Learners explore the building of a pyramid and how pulleys were used to change the direction of applied force. They demonstrate the mechanical advantage of using a pulley and apply it to modern engineering.
Teach Engineering
Levers that Lift
Introduce your class to to the remaining three simple machines-- the lever, pulley, and the wheel-and-axle with a plan that includes the three different types of levers in the discussion of levers. The lesson continues with the...
Curated OER
Investigating Pulleys
Students investigate pulleys and see how they have a mechanical advantage in lifting heavy loads. In this pulley activity students make a hypothesis, complete and experiment then complete a worksheet.
Teach Engineering
Not So Simple
Compound machines, nothing more than a combination of simple machines working together, are the focus of an activity that asks class members to use the provided information to take a look at the way innovators combine simple machines to...
Curated OER
Household Tools
Young scholars explore parts of a system. In this simple machines lesson, students discover that simple machines are composed of two or more systems. Young scholars examine household tools and assess the parts of the system.
Curated OER
Attributes of Accuracy
Middle schoolers explain necessity in using accurate instruments when measuring, and how measurements can be checked for accuracy. They make a six-inch ruler, design, test, and evaluate a system to measure work, and produce a table and...