+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wheels, Gears, and Compound Machines

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read selected pages from their science text and explain forces affected by wheels and axles. They read and discover that gears transfer forces and that gear combinations relate to compound machines.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Household Tools

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explore parts of a system. In this simple machines lesson, students discover that simple machines are composed of two or more systems. Students examine household tools and assess the parts of the system.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Machinery In Society

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore technology by completing a worksheet in class. For this common machinery lesson, students define the different designs that make simple machines work such as wheels, pulleys and gears. Students utilize verbs to describe...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple and Complex Machines Used In Agriculture

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Machines

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders choose a simple machine and write about they way they believe it will work. Students experiment, write down procedures used and record observations. They will find a picture of the machine and add it to their report.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting Geared Up!

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students create their own Power Point presentation displaying clip art pictures of simple machines and telling how each machine makes tasks easier. They break into small groups and review information on simple machines from website and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wheel and Axle

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders construct a wheel and axle model using a Lego Dacta set. They read and discuss informational text from the book "It's Science! Machines We Use," and in small groups create a simple machine using Legos.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gears and Proportions

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore gears.  In this simple machines and ratio lesson, students view a video clip in which front and rear bicycle gears are explained. From a set of gear combinations and gear ratios, students identify high and low gear ratio...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Optical Illusion Machine

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explore optical illusions. Using Legos, they construct and motorize a machine that has an axle that's geared up and geared down, complete a worksheet, and answer discussion questions.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physics of Tools

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the nature and work of simple tools and mechanics. They explain how each simple machine can be used in real world applications. They explore levers, balance beams, windlasses, wedges, gears, ocarinas, harmonicas,...
+
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Levers and Pulleys and Gears, Oh My!

For Teachers 2nd
Students explore the difference between compound and simple machines in this six lessons of this unit. The purpose and importance of a variety of types of simple machines and the effects of friction are investigated.
+
Organizer
CPO Science

Physics Skill and Practice Worksheets

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Stop wasting energy searching for physics resources, this comprehensive collection of worksheets has you covered. Starting with introductions to the scientific method, dimensional analysis, and graphing data, these skills practice...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Snowplow

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students design and build a snowplow using LEGO materials. They compete in an Engineer's Challenge to clear a path through Styrofoam peanuts.
+
Handout
The Franklin Institute

Spotlighting Simple Machines

For Students 3rd - 8th
Simple machines such as inclined planes in wedges and screws are explained.
+
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.
+
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Gears Go Round!

For Students 3rd - 8th
Music boxes, bicycles, and clocks all have one thing in common: GEARS. You might say that gears make the world turn, since they are in so many mechanical instruments. How do they work and how do you know which gears to use? Find out in...
+
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Gears: Lift It Up!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this activity, students learn about the trade-off between speed and torque when designing gear ratios. The activity setup includes a LEGO pulley system with two independent gear sets and motors that spin two pulleys. Each pulley has...
+
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Cyberchase: Bianca Gets in Gear

For Students 5th - 8th
Bianca visits a bike shop and learns how bicycle gears work in this Cyberchase video segment. [3:26]
+
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Claw

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about gear ratios and power by operating toy mechanical cranes of differing gear ratios. They attempt to pick up objects with various masses to witness how much power must be applied to the system to oppose the force of...
+
Activity
Other

D&t Online: Gears

For Students 9th - 10th
This site illustrates how gears work and how they are used in simple machines.
+
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Wide World of Gears

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In an interactive and game-like manner, students learn about the mechanical advantage that is offered by gears. By virtue of the activity's mechatronics presentation, students learn to study a mechanical system as a dynamic system under...
+
Activity
PBS

The Math of Bicycles: Wheel Figure This Out (Grades 4 7)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Several good activities here. Look particularly at Wheel Figure It Out (which is the opening page) and Gearing Up. There are answers to the very good questions at the bottom of each.