Teams design and build a windmill, under budget, that can lift an object. The groups evaluate and reflect on their own design, then on those produced by other teams. The goal is to determine which design is the most...

Students experiments with levers to determine if the amount of force needed to lift a load is always the same. In this physics lesson, students use Lab-Pro data collector as they experiment with the fulcrum placement to measure the work...

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 plan continues with the...

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...

In this levers worksheet, 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 calculate the...

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.

The Cold War was not necessarily always cold in temperature, but the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union sure was frigid! Scholars read various passages, view exhibition graphics, and observe an artifact from the...

Designed for a lower elementary school classroom, this presentation on simple machines is a wonderful way to introduce this topic. The resource begins by identifying and defining the six types of simple machines, and then goes on to...

Did Shakespeare really write all that stuff? After viewing a trailer for the film, Anonymous and reading Stephen Marche’s article “Wouldn’t It Be Cool If Shakespeare Wasn’t Shakespeare?” class groups read articles about the Shakespeare...

It is plane to see that simple machines help reduce the force needed to perform a task.  This resource introduces three of the simple machines--the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw, and  the formulas in order to be able...

The lever is an everyday simple machine. Youngsters learn the principles of levers and explore their many uses. Groups of pupils perform a simple lab where they lift objects with a fulcrum while placing the load in a variety of...

Which pulley system will give us a whale of a good time? Teams compare the theoretical and actual mechanical advantages of different pulley systems. They then form a recommendation for how to move a whale from an aquarium back to the ocean.

Students use simple machines that demonstrate force, friction, work and power. They investigate and explain simple machines.

Using boats along in the Port of Albany as the focus, learners practice adding single-digit numbers and interpreting data. This lesson comes with the worksheets, resource links, and other materials to make it a worthwhile experience.

As the title suggests, this packet is loaded with activities that can be used at any time. The common element in all the exercises is that they are connected to books by Dr. Seuss.

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

Fifth graders take a close look at the types of ships that travel through the Hudson River Valley on the Hudson River. They utilize worksheets embedded in the plan in order to answer questions about exactly what is being shipped, and how...

Scientist, artist, inventor - was there anything Leonardo da Vinci couldn't do? Supplement your lecture on Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance with this presentation. Viewers will be surprised at how many modern scientific revelations...

The title of this article from the New York Times is "The Cult of Physicality". So are you wondering what this article might be refering to? Well, then read on and find out more about what some call extreme fitness. There is a...

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 lesson that concentrates on the use of a lever and fulcrum. They define how a lever is used to lift a load. The lesson has background information to justify it. Students demonstrate how to use the lever while lifting...

Students use problem solving skills to lift a load using a balloon rocket. They construct a rocket out of a balloon and use it to carry a paper clip payload.

Students connect the events of early space exploration to their lives today. After viewing a teacher created gallery, they discuss how the launch of Sputnik and how space exploration in general has positively or negatively affected...

For this levers worksheet, students read a one page information text about the three classes of levers. Students then analyze 10 pictures of simple machines and circle the fulcrum point. Students classify each machine according to the...