Learners determine the forces necessary to move a truck on an inclined plane with weight and slope as variables. They identify the cheapest way to transport trash to local garbage disposal sites.

Students use an inclined plane to move a heavy load.

Learners describe how inclined plane and pulleys make work easier. In this physics lesson, students calculate work done and mechanical advantage of both simple machines. They collect data from the experiment and construct graphs.

Learners experiment to see how various objects roll down ramps. In this ramp lesson, students observe weight, size, and material of objects.  Learners compare speeds by using a second ramp.  

Students explore and measure the rate of spherical objects rolling down a ramp. They discuss why different ramps work better than others, and practice procedures for testing designs and recording results.

In this museum student guide worksheet, students make a mini-book about simple machines to be used during a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry. They locate the exhibits that demonstrate the wedge, inclined plane, screw, lever,...

Students explore how various ramps affect the rate of speed of a rolling object. In this physics lesson, students work in groups to build a ramp out of various materials. Students test and record the rate of speed of a rolling object by...

Young scholars perform the following activity as a group so that they can gain experience with how ramps work. Students will first construct a simple ramp and then time how fast different objects roll down that ramp.

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

Young scholars 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...

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 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...

Learners examine what lies within the Earth. They research and create scale models illustrating the layers of the Earth and write skits advocating a travel plan to send a probe into the Earth's mantle.

Student design and build Lego vehicles that drag given amount of weight up an incline. They show how this demonstrates Egyptian methods of pyramid construction.

Students spin themselves to understand rotational inertia. In this Inertia lesson, students will also use ramps, balance beam and pendelum to conduct rotational inertia experiments. Students draw conclusions to explain rotational...

Students experiment in small groups to answer the question, "Is there a relationship between ramps and speed?" They apply a formula to calculate the speed of the cars used in the experiment, complete the associate lab report, and...

Students investigate the connection between work, potential energy, kinetic energy, and heat. In this physics instructional activity, students use pulleys to produce mechanical advantages and incline planes to demonstrate energy conversion.

Students discover how inclined planes make work easier as they make mathematical predictions and prove their predictions through experiments.

First graders experiment with different sized balls and an incline plane to study how a heavy object push a lighter object. They examine the safety message of this activity by showing their drawings of the crossbuck sign.

Students explore simple machines used in the home. In this simple machines instructional activity, students discover that many household items are constructed from simple machines. Students interact with nutcrackers, peelers, egg...

Kids observe, classify, and measure tree leaves with a scientific eye. They examine leaves, group them according their attributes, and use standard units of measurement as they compare their sizes. They access a web site to learn how...

Students test different sized marbles and how fast they can go. In this energy lesson plan, students test different sized marbles going down an incline. They predict which would have the most potential and kinetic energy. After the test,...

Fifth graders roll different sized cans down an inclined ramp in order to determine if the contents of a can affect the speed at which is rolls. In this physics lesson, 5th graders work in small groups to send each can down the ramp...

Students consider the first part of Newton's First Law of Motion, the Law of Inertia of objects at rest, which states that every object remains at rest unless acted on by a force. They perform hands-on experiments which demonstrate this...