Description
What our Simple Machines 1 lesson plan includes
Lesson Objectives and Overview: Simple Machines 1 explores what a simple machine is and how it can make certain tasks easier. Students will discover the six different types and will be able to name them. They will learn about the inclined plane, edge, screw, lever, wheel and axel, and pulley. This lesson is for students in 2nd grade and 3rd grade.
Classroom Procedure
Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. This lesson requires large drawing paper or construction paper, scratch paper, and colored pencils.
Options for Lesson
The “Options for Lesson” section lists several suggestions for additional activities or lesson alterations. Consider setting up simple machine centers in the classroom with hands-on tools like pulleys, ramps, and levers for students to explore. Show a short educational video or cartoon demonstrating how simple machines work in everyday life. For tech-friendly classrooms, students can complete an interactive online activity or game that lets them “build” machines virtually.
Teacher Notes
On the teacher notes page, you will find additional guidance. A paragraph of extra information explains the lesson further and what to expect. The lesson is designed for younger students as an introduction to this important scientific concept. There are also a number of lines on which you can write extra notes before you present the lesson.
SIMPLE MACHINES 1 LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES
What Simple Machines Are and How They Work
The Simple Machines 1 lesson plan contains two pages of content. Have you ever pushed a swing, turned a doorknob, or used scissors? Then guess what? You’ve used
simple machines! These tools help us do work by making it easier to move things, lift things, or change direction. You probably have done these so many time, you don’t even think about them.
These things are called simple machines because they have very few parts and are easy to understand. Each simple machine does just one job, like lifting, pushing, or pulling. Even though they are not complicated, they are super helpful. People have used simple machines for thousands of years to make work easier.
Inclined Plane, Wedge, Screw
Students will then learn about six types of simple machines: inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, wheel and axle, and pulley. The lesson includes a table that outlines each machine by providing a description and a few examples. Students will likely need to refer to the table often as they complete the worksheets and assignments.
Inclined Plane: Also called ramps, these can have either steep or gentle slopes. A steeper slope equals more work while a gentler slope equals less work. Ramps can help move things between levels, such as people in wheelchairs. It is much easier to push a wheelchair up a ramp than up a flight of stairs. A waterpark slide is another example of an inclined plane.
Wedge: These tools help people cut, split, scrape, hold something back, or hold something together. Examples include door stoppers, axes, screwdrivers, and push pins. In addition, jets have a wedge-shaped nose to help them move faster through the air.
Screw: These are very small machines with ridges (threads) that wind around them. They help hold things together, such as two pieces of wood. Examples include all sizes of screws and drill bits. Many people only think of screws that go into a wall. However, other screw-type simple machines include the lid of a jar, the metal bottom of a light bulb, or the cap on a car’s gas tank.
Lever, Wheel and Axle, and Pulley
Lever: This tool can easily move and rotate. Pushing one end down will cause the other end to go in the opposite direction, like a see-saw or teeter totter. Other examples of a lever include a wheelbarrow, nail clippers, bottle openers, brooms, and a person’s arms and legs.
Wheel and Axle: This is possibly the oldest of simple machines. These two parts work together to allow the movement of objects, like cars or wagons. Other examples include ceiling fans, gears, doorknobs, merry-go-rounds, roller blades, and almost anything that has wheels.
Pulley: A pulley works by attaching a rope to a wheel that has a groove in it to hold the rope. You use a pulley to help lift or lower objects, such a flag on a flag pole. Other examples of this simple machine includes water wells, window blinds, elevators, garage doors, and theater curtains.
What Simple Machines Are For
Simple machines are essential because they help us do work more easily. They let us move heavy things easily, like pushing a big box up a ramp (inclined plane) or pulling up a flag with a pulley. They also help us save time—like how a wheelbarrow (wheel and axle) lets you move lots of dirt quickly instead of having to carry a big bucket with your hands. Simple machines include slides, seesaws, and parts of bikes, making play fun!
These machines keep us safe. A doorstop (a wedge) keeps a door from closing on your fingers, and a crowbar (a lever) helps you open heavy things without hurting yourself. We use simple machines daily. Have you used a can opener or screwdriver or walked up a ramp? They may be simple, but they help us do big and important jobs!
SIMPLE MACHINES 1 LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS
The Simple Machines 1 lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. Each worksheet will help students better grasp the concepts they learned throughout the lesson. You can refer to the guidelines on the classroom procedure page to determine when to administer each handout.
CREATE YOUR OWN MACHINE ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
For the activity, students will work with a partner to create an invention that includes two of the six types of simple machines. (You can have students work alone or in groups for this activity if you prefer.) Students will need to be creative and remember to invent something that makes work easier. They will need to collaborate with each other to come up with their idea. Then they can draw up a rough draft to present to you for your approval. They will complete the final copy on a clean sheet of paper. Finally, they will need to come up with a name for their invention.
SIMPLE MACHINES 1 PRACTICE WORKSHEET
To test their comprehension of the content pages, students will look at six pictures. They will decide which simple machine the picture represents.
SCAVENGER HUNT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
The homework assignment will be a fun scavenger hunt! Students will look around their house and find at least 5 things that are actually simple machines. They can ask a family member for help if they need it. Then they will write down the object they found and what kind of simple machine it is in the table below. Then they must draw a picture of each one!
Worksheet Answer Keys
There are answer keys at the end of the lesson plan for both the practice and homework worksheets. For the practice worksheet, the answer key highlights in red the correct answers on the first and second sections. Given the nature of the homework assignment, the responses are sample answers. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.
