Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval Catapults

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students design and build a working catapult or trebuchet to explore the concepts of force, motion, and distance.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Technology at Work

For Teachers K - 5th
Students complete a research project.  In this technology lesson, students discuss the term technology and when technology began.  Students work in groups to brainstorm a list of the top ten technological advances in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building a Car: Mechanical Engineering

For Teachers K
Students use common materials to build a car. For this car building mechanical engineering lesson, students build a car using a milk cartoon and plastic wheels. They discuss what mechanical engineers do and what makes a car run.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sparky's Engineer: A Story Book Introduction to Engineering

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate what an engineer does. In this engineering lesson, students read the book "Sparky's Engineer" and analyze the different types of engineers that are referenced in the book. The students identify tools and machines...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Catapult

For Students 6th - 8th
In this social studies worksheet, students find the words related to the catapult and the answers are found by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer

For Teachers K
Students study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering lesson, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Students then design their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Construction Worker Book

For Teachers K
Students examine simple tools that are used in everyday life. In this construction worker tools lesson, students decide which tools should be used to solve the construction worker's problems in a manner that demonstrates the Simple...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Have Work To Do - Science

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students begin to think of ways to make work easier. They will focus on ways to extend their abilities to lift heavy things. They will identify levers, pulleys, and inclined planes through the examination of concrete objects and hands on...
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

Getting into Shape

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify 3-D geometric shapes through different pieces of artwork. They examine and identify segments and angles. Students act out shapes and create a piece of artwork. Additional cross curriculum activities are listed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Pulleys

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate pulleys and see how they have a mechanical advantage in lifting heavy loads.  In this pulley lesson plan students make a hypothesis, complete and experiment then complete a worksheet. 
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...
Handout
Ohio University

Haptic Augmented Simple Machines: The Lever

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of the three types of levers, with examples of each. The formula for the law of equilibrium is also demonstrated.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Through a five-lesson series with five hands-on activities, students are introduced to six simple machines - inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, pulley, wheel-and-axle - as well as compound machines, which are combinations of two or...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Simple Machines From Pyramids to Skyscrapers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier, and which people have used to provide mechanical advantage for thousands of years. Students learn about the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane,...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Inventions Using Simple Machines Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students will have completed a unit on the six simple machines (lever, inclined plane, pulley, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle) before beginning this project. Students will choose to investigate an invention composed of one or more...
Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
The purpose of this lesson is to learn about the different types of simple machines and their uses. PDF (requires Adobe Reader) and RTF (requires Word or Notebook).
Handout
Integrated Publishing

Integrated Publishing: Levers

For Students 9th - 10th
A quite lengthy chapter on the simple machine the lever. Includes uses, classes, mechanical advantage, formulae, etc. A full discussion, with good illustrations.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier. Students are introduced to the six types of simple machines - the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley - in the context of the...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Balancing the Load: The See Saw as a Simple Machine

For Students 3rd - 5th
Have you ever tried to pull out a nail out of wood with your bare hands? Or have you tried to shove a staple through a stack of papers without a stapler? A hammer's claw, a stapler, a pair of pliers and a shovel are each examples of...
Unit Plan
University of Houston

University of Houston: Science Lessons: Simple Machines Learning Site

For Students 3rd - 5th
Provides definitions of all 6 simple machines with examples and student drawing of them. Interactive "simple machines quiz" at the end.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Simple Machines

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
During this instructional activity, learners learn about the six types of simple machines. They define each type of machine, experiment with each type, utilize the Internet to explore each type of machine and build their own simple...
Unknown Type
Soft Schools

Soft Schools: Physics Quizzes: Simple Machines

For Students 9th - 10th
Assess your understanding of the six simple machines with this interactive multiple choice quiz. Immediate feedback is available.