Introduction: This lesson provides students with a review of simple machines and their tasks. It works best in combination with your lesson on simple machines, or as a review/additional activity.

Level: Grades 3-12

Time: This activity can be done in one 45-minute class period or as part of a class period and a homework assignment.

Lesson Preparation

Photocopy worksheet

Prior Knowledge Required

Students should know the six types of simple machines and what they do (inclined plane, screw, pulley, wheel and axle, wedge, and lever). They should also know what a gear is (sometimes considered a simple machine or a “specialized” wheel with levers).

Background Information

Simple machines make work easier for us by allowing us to push or pull over increased distances.

“A simple machine is a non-powered mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage (also called leverage) to multiply force. A simple machine uses a single applied force to do work against a single load force. Ignoring friction losses, the work done on the load is equal to the work done by the applied force. The machine can increase the amount of the output force, at the cost of a proportional decrease in the distance moved by the load. The ratio of the output to the applied force is called the mechanical advantage.”*

*Wikipedia – “Simple Machines” – accessed July 7, 2014

Vocabulary

  • Pulley – change direction of a force
  • Lever – increase or decrease applied force
  • Wheel and Axle – reduce friction of moving something
  • Screw – hold things together or move an object
  • Inclined Plane – reduce force of moving something
  • Wedge- used to push two objects apart, or cut an object into pieces. It can also hold objects in place.
  • Gear (sometimes considered a simple machine, sometimes a complex machine) – increase force, change speed or direction of power source – made up of a wheel and axle with levers
  • Work – exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor toil.

Anticipated Student Preconceptions / Misconceptions

Students may mistakenly believe that:

  • Machines put out more work than people put in.
  • Work is any activity one gets tired doing, paid to do, or doesn’t like doing.

Frameworks Connections

Massachusetts Science Curriculum Frameworks

Grade 4: Physical Science
Technology Systems

3-5-ET2-2 – Describe that technological products or devices are made up of parts. Use sketches or drawings to show how each part of a product or device relates to the other parts in the product or device.

Grade 8: Technology/Engineering
Energy and Power Technologies

MS-ETS4-1 – Explain how a machine converts energy, though mechanical means, to do work.

Guiding Question

How do simple machines work together to create mechanical advantage?

Objectives

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Identify how simple machines operate in a system to create mechanical advantage.

Activity

Class Discussion

  1. Review the six types of simple machines and what types of mechanical advantage do they provide (inclined plane, screw, pulley, wheel and axle, wedge, and lever). Also talk about gears (sometimes considered a simple machine or a “specialized” wheel with levers). See handout.
  2. Discuss how the machine converts energy, though mechanical means, to do work.

Activity

These next steps can be done in class, or as a homework assignment:

  1. Pass out the worksheets and review the assignment.
  2. Students complete their worksheets as an in-class assignment or homework.
  3. After the worksheets are complete, or the next day, review the answers with the whole class.

(Completed worksheet) 

Assessment

See grading rubric

Differentiated Suggestions

Students may work in groups to complete the worksheet.
Bring in a bicycle for students to investigate.

Adapting the Activity for Other Grades

Younger students might want to investigate one of these websites for clues to how simple machines provide mechanical advantage in everyday life.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirtrep/simple/index.htm
www.msichicago.org/play/simplemachines/
http://www.neok12.com/Simple-Machines.htm 
For older students: this website contains a lot of lesson and activity ideas for further exploration.
http://science-class.net/archive/science-class/Physics/machines.htm

Bibliography

Weakland, Mark. Smash!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments with Simple Machines (Wile E. Coyote, Physical Science Genius). North Mankato: MN: Capstone Press, 2014.

Rubric

Grading Rubric

Print the entire lesson plan:Simple Machines

Partnership

The Tsongas Industrial History Center is an education partnership between the University of Massachusetts Lowell School of Education and the National Park Service at Lowell National Historical Park.

  • UMass Lowell
  • National Park Service