Legos in science class? Watch your pupils fall in love with this activity. After learning to measure potential and kinetic energy, young scientists create their own ramps using Lego Mindstorm sensors and software.

Fourth graders investigate the principles and uses of gears, and examine how gears can be used to alter the direction of motion or the speed of an object. They observe two cars with different sized wheels roll down an inclined plane,...

Students role several balls of different weights down a ramp and into a paper cup and record how far each ball made the paper cup move. They then answer questions that help them analyze their results and reinforce the idea that energy...

Third graders study and define force. They determine that the cause of movement is pushing or pulling which are the types of force used when operating simple machines. They experiment to determine which object requires the most amount of...

Fifth graders discuss ways to move large rocks. They relate this to building a rock garden, and the ways people might load boulders into a truck. Students discuss the use of a ramp vs. lifting the boulder straight up onto the bed of the...

Students explore agriculture and the current technologies and research that continue to make Earth a viable planet. This four lessons unit introduce students to simple machines and the concepts of force and friction through a variety of...

Fourth graders examine the simple machine known as a plane. They build their own pyramid and identify the role of screws. They participate in a hands-on activity in which they determine the angle in which to make it easier to pull.

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...

Fourth graders participate in activities to examine how simple machines help build things. They identify the six types of simple machines. They discover how simple machines where use historically to build pyramids and how they are still...

Students study and identify different types of simple machines and how they work. They design a simple machine.

Students using clay and a toothpick, shape the clay into a "mountain" upon which they make a road that is the shortest in distance. They measure the length of their road and then make a road that is the longest in distance without...

Students break into small groups with each group using 3 books, a board with pulleys attached at both ends, a toy cart, a small paper cup with a long piece of string attached the end and some pennies. They test their guesses to see if it...

Learners discover that different things move at different speeds. They compare the distance a car travels on a ramp with and without a push. They push the car with one finger the first time, let it move without a push the next time (no...

Fourth graders identify six simple machines in real world examples, distinguish between the three different types of levers and explain Newton's three laws of motion. They create a multimedia presentation over the information they've...

Young learners explore friction. They view a video or DVD (bibliography provided) and define terms related to friction, and work in groups to experiment with the effects of friction on speed and motion using ramps and toy cars.

What happens to the momentum of an object when it strikes another object? Scholars roll a marble down a ramp so it collides with another marble. By measuring the speed of each marble before and after the collision, pupils answer this...

Eighth graders examine the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane through experimentation.

Students listen to a lecture by the teacher about farm work and ways to use physics to make farm work easier. The machines that are highlighted include pulleys, ramps, lever, and gears. Each machine is explained in context of its use in...

Second graders experiment with simple machines. In this machine lesson, 2nd graders go to different labs to see examples of a lever, inclined plane, wedge, pulley, gears, and wheel and axle. They discuss how a machine makes work a lot...

Full speed ahead! Young learners conduct an activity using toy cars and ramps. They collect data on mass, speed, and time to investigate Newton's second law of motion. Ideally, they'll come up with the equation F = ma.

Students are introduced to the bridge building challenge. They perform two labs and work in small groups to finish the vector worksheet. Students review vector additions. They then move onto the Forces on an Inclined Plane Lab. ...

Third graders are introduced to the concepts of force and motion. In groups, they travel between stations to analyze the effect of force and motion on various objects. They research how various careers use these concepts as well.

Students perform an experiment in order to determine how increasing weight affects the velocity of a truck and use the computer to compile their data.

Students investigate simple machines. In this simple machines lesson, students explore how tools increase productivity and make life easier. Students experiment with simple tools and discover the parts of each tool.