Activities Related to Investigation of Simple Machines

These activities allow students firsthand experience with simple machines, forces, motion, and work. You can adapt some to create performance assessments.

---

Playground Physics http://lyra.colorado.edu/sbo/mary/play/index.html

This unit is designed as an introduction to basic concepts in classical mechanics for upper elementary and middle school students. The idea is to relate the experience children have on the playground to basic physics concepts. Students in grades 4 and 5 will have a conceptual experience while older students will use a more formal and mathematical approach. The three sections can be used independently on different days or on one day. The sections are: jungle-gym drop to explore how gravity affects falling objects, see-saw physics to explore the concept of levers, and swing-set physics to explore the concept of pendulums. Included are terms and concepts, an essay on math and physics, educational objectives, a teacher's guide for each section, and assessment aids. MSP full record

Simple Machines http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/      Virtual/Lessons/Science/Physical_Sciences/PHY0044.html

The purpose of this set of activities is to expose students to the usefulness of the six basic simple machines in today's world. At the end of this lesson, students will be able to (1) define the six simple machines, knowing how they differ or are similar in their use, (2) dissect a broken appliance or toy, listing all the parts found under the appropriate categories of simple machines, (3) read and interpret Rube Goldberg's drawings and design some of their own, and (4) design and build a working model, using three or more of the simple machines. MSP full record

Simple Machine Scavenger Hunt http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/2596.html

This quick, easy, fun and effective activity can be done indoors or out. Students are charged with finding seven physical, three-dimensional simple machines. They must be able to classify and label the machines. MSP full record

Work Is Simple with Simple Machines http://www.ed.uri.edu/SMART96/ELEMSC/SMARTmachines/machine.html

These simple elementary activities can be done in one period. In stations, students could review some basic phenomena associated with simple machines as an introduction to your unit, before exploring simple machines at work in familiar objects. Alternatively, you could adapt these activities to serve as performance assessments, at the conclusion of your unit, to check for conceptual understanding. MSP full record

---

 Back to top

Copyright June 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.