Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wheel & Axle Tractor

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students design and build a tractor using LEGO materials. They write and draw their designs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tools Make A Difference

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students compare and contrast older and newer types and designs of tools, and examine how the change in tools affected life along the river in the book, "A River Ran Wild." They classify the tools for cooking, hunting, farming, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Machines or Are They?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Learners discover basic machines and how they make completing work easier. They identify two basic machines, the inclined plane and the lever and the functions of these simple machines.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shop projects Summer Smile Program

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Learners explore the list of products available to make and choose at least 2.  In this project lesson students pick and choose their own projects to create in a shop class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forces Applied to an Object

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders predict, observe, and compare what happens when a force is applied to an object. In this forces lesson, 4th graders complete a 'swinging hammer' activity to learn about forces and motion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sparky's Engineer Activity Book

For Teachers K
Students complete their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book. In this engineering instructional activity, students are guided by their teacher in completing their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book which reviews what engineers make and what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Space Shuttle

For Teachers K
Pupils explore the concept of space. In this space lesson, students pretend to be aerospace engineers. Pupils build space ships out of cardboard tubes. Students discuss what aerospace engineers do. Pupils model their space ships after...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Newton's Second Law of Motion

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study Newton's second law of motion and verify it.  In this force and motion lesson students complete a lab activity and collect data, analyze it and graph it. 
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Pulley'ing Your Own Weight

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using common materials (spools, string, soap), students learn how a pulley can be used to easily change the direction of a force, making the moving of large objects easier. They see the difference between fixed and movable pulleys, and...
Unit Plan
Technology Student

Technology Student: Gears and Pulleys

For Students 9th - 10th
This site describes the basics of gears and pulleys, and their use in simple machines.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Examples of Pulleys in Daily Life

For Students 3rd - 5th
Learn how pulleys work and their many uses in everyday life, industry, recreation, and other activities. Includes many pictures of pulleys and pulley systems.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Simple Machines: Pulley Systems

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes some history of the pulley, how it works, the formula for calculating its mechanical advantage, types of pulley systems, and some applications of pulleys.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Pulley

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a pulley is and the three basic types, and the mechanical advantage of a pulley.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Powerful Pulleys

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students continue to explore the story of building a pyramid, learning about the simple machine called a pulley. They learn how a pulley can be used to change the direction of applied forces and move/lift extremely heavy objects, and the...
Handout
Other

Pulley Basics

For Students 9th - 10th
Here are some animated drawings of a fixed pulley and a movable pulley. Then, of course, there is the combined pulley which makes life even more easier.
Website
Creative Science Centre

Creative Science Centre: Home Made Pulleys

For Students 9th - 10th
Instructions for making pulleys at home.
Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Moment of Inertia of Pulley

For Students 9th - 10th
This lab is designed to have students learn how the size, mass and mass distribution of a pulley influences the rate at which a mass attached to the pulley will accelerate. The pulley is frictionless and the string's mass is negligible.
Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Pulley Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
This lab is designed to have students find the relationship between the number of pulleys used and the force required to lift a mass. Students will see that it is not actually the number of pulleys that matter, but the number of strings...
Interactive
Other

New Path Learning: Virtual Lab: Exploring Pulleys

For Students 9th - 10th
Investigate how changing the load, number of pulleys, and the size of the person affect the function of a pulley system. Students can record their observations on a data table.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Comparing Mechanical Advantage and Efficiency of Pulleys

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students determine the mechanical advantage of three pulley set-ups. Then they measure the work input and output to calculate the efficiency. Finally, students determine the relationship between the mechanical advantage and the...
Lesson Plan
Other

How to smile.org: Building Pulleys

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An activity where young scholars use pulley systems to pick up a paint can and move an eraser from the ground to the top of a desk. After completing this activity, students will understand how pulley systems can help us do work.
Handout
Other

Hognosesam: Pulleys and Gears

For Students 9th - 10th
This site gives a small amount of space to pulleys, and then provides a wealth of information about gears.
Handout
Integrated Publishing

Integrated Publishing: Pulley Mechanical Advantage

For Students 9th - 10th
Good illustrations and explanations for finding the mechanical advantage of pulley systems.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Give Yourself a Lift: Lightening the Load With Pulleys

For Students 9th - 10th
Before the Industrial Age, people relied on muscle power for moving and lifting heavy objects. Here's a project that shows you how you can use your head to make heavy lifting easier on your muscles - and your back.

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