A Simple Machines Activity

Designed by: Tamra Paschal     School: Satchel Ford Elementary 

Grade Level: Third      Subject: Science

Core Curriculum Objective: Observe and identify examples of simple machines found in the school, playground, home, and work environment.

Overview: The students will review what they know about simple machines through discussion and viewing three web sites. Next, they will tour the school and grounds with a digital camera taking pictures of simple machines. They will add to their collection of simple machines images by cutting pictures from magazines and catalogs, and downloading pictures from graphics software and the Internet. They will create an interactive bulletin board as a culminating activity.

Focus /Essential Question: What simple machines do we see everyday?

Time Frame: Three 1-hour class periods

Resources and Materials: 

Computer/AverKey/Printer Digital camera 

Thinkquest - library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/sub3.htm 

The Franklin Institute's - sln.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html 

Rube Goldberg site - www.rubegoldberg.com/gallery.htm 

Assorted magazines, newspapers, catalogs (especially those related to tools, cars, home improvement, items for the home) 

Print Artist by Sierra, or another graphics software program 

Various colors of construction paper 

Sentence strips 

Bulletin board that is easily accessible 

Glue 

Stapler/staples 

Copy paper 

Markers 

Scissors 

Velcro with adhesive backing- at least 28 one inch pieces 

At least 4 pocket folders

Culminating Assessment: Students will work in four groups. Each group will be required to find a minimum of six examples of their assigned simple machine and one example of a pulley for the interactive bulletin board. They will be responsible mounting their portion of the bulletin board. Their examples should come from at least 3 sources. The teacher will evaluate using the following rubric.

Instructional Activities:

Activity One

 (The students should be familiar with simple machines and this lesson should only be taught after students have explored levers, pulleys, wedges, wheels and axles, and inclined planes through hands-on activities.) Ask students to define a simple machine. Ask for some examples of specific simple machines. Discuss the importance of simple machines and the work they do. Use the computer and AverKey to allow the class to view the following web sites. Http://library.thinkquest.org/J002079F/sub3.htm and http://sln.fi.deu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html These sites offer great illustrations and photographs as well as explanations of simple machines. Stress that these machines were invented to make difficult tasks simpler. Introduce cartoonist Rube Goldberg and tell how he drew machines that made simple tasks difficult. Share some of these cartoons at http://www.rubegoldberg.com/gallery.htm These cartoons will inspire some students to create their own Rube Goldbergesque inventions.

Tell students they will be creating an interactive bulletin board with pictures of simple machines as they are used in the world around them. The purpose of the board will be to match the type of simple machine to its picture. Tell them they will each be a member of a group and each group will search for at least 6 examples a particular simple machine. All groups need to find a different example of a pulley. (Pulleys are more difficult to find.) They are expected to use at least 3 sources. Explain that these sources can be the Internet, graphics software programs, magazines, newspapers, photographs, catalogs, and any other source approved by the teacher. Assign students to four groups and assign each group a simple machine to focus on. Homework: Search for illustrations of simple machines at home.

Activity Two 

Review previous day's activities, go over homework, and review cooperative group rules. Take the students for a walk around the school and the grounds with at least one digital camera. They should be searching for examples of their assigned simple machine and taking pictures of them. The teacher should clarify any misconceptions and assist those having difficulty. Print the pictures when back in class. Give each group a folder to hold their picture collections. In case of duplicated items, the group should choose the example that best exemplifies the type of simple machine it is. While a group works on the computer (adjust according to the number of computers and printers available), the other groups can be cutting out pictures from magazines, etc. Computer time should be scheduled if computer resources are limited. The teacher should continue to monitor and offer suggestions and assistance. Special assistance should be given to any group or individual having difficulty.

Activity Three 

Groups should carefully mount their pictures on construction paper. Each group should cut seven 3-inch sections of sentence strips. Six of the sections should have the type of simple machine their group collected written neatly on them with markers. One should have "pulley" written on it. Each group should have seven 1-inch pieces of Velcro with adhesive backing. The students should place one part on a picture and the corresponding part on the back of the piece of sentence strip that names the type of simple machine represented. Each group should make a pocket with construction paper and label it with their particular simple machine. All their sentence strip pieces should go in that pocket. Students should randomly staple their pictures to the bulletin board. The teacher will number each picture with a marker. Each group will make a key for their simple machine, fold it, and place it in the back of the sentence strip pocket. Each pocket will be stapled at the bottom of the bulletin board. Students or groups can take turns matching the types of simple machines to their pictures.

The teacher will evaluate according to the culminating assessment rubric. The bulletin board can be in classroom, a main hall, science lab, or media center.

This lesson can be adjusted so students make file folder games rather than a bulletin board. This can be done as an individual or group assignment. In that case the student or group would be responsible for finding all the examples for their project and gluing them in a file folder. Cards that can be placed on the picture can be substituted for the Velcro labels. Students can swap file folder games. Criteria may need to be adjusted for sake of time.