SIMPLE MACHINES

MASTER TEACHER  Colleen McGran

GRADES  2-4

OVERVIEW
In this lesson the students will learn simple machines make work easier.  They will identify levers, screws,  pulleys, wheels and axles, wedges and ramps as simple machines and recognize these machines in their environment.  Students will measure distances comparing simple machines doing the work, to doing the work without the help of simple machines.

ETV SERIES
Bill Nye -Simple Machines-#107
Science Aboard Ship- #101

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The students should be able to:
* identify the simple machines.
* compare/contrast work done with simple machines to work done without simple           machines.
* measure the distance an object moves with and without the help of a simple machine.
* identify examples of a lever, pulley, screw, ramp, wedge, and wheel and axle in the environment.

MATERIALS
(Per Teacher)
large T chart with five rows
markers
hammer
screw
door stopper
2 hangers
2 empty spools of thread
spool of string
butcher paper 6 ft. long with marks indicating each foot
venn diagram
stop watch

(per pair of students)
plastic spoon
ping-pong ball
paper
pencil
match box cars-one with wheels, one without wheels

(per student)
11 x 17 sheet of paper for T chart
ruler
magazines
markers
glue

VOCABULARY
simple machines machines designed to alter the size and direction of force to make work easier.
fulcrum  the pivot point in a lever.
lever  a simple machines used to lift things.
screw  an inclined plane (ramp) cut in a  spiral around a rod.
wheel and axle  a modified lever; it can move a load farther than a lever.
force  the amount of energy it takes to move an object.
work the act of doing something that takes force.
ramp  an inclined plane designed for lifting or moving objects up.
pulley  a wheel over which a rope or belt is passed.
wedge  an adaptation of inclined plane.  It can be used to raise a heavy load over a short distance  or to split a log.

PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin by playing the song toward the end of the video by The Pulley Ramp Five, "ABC's of Machinery".  When the song is finished stop the video and rewind to the beginning of the tape.  Ask the student's what machines they heard in the song.  Write their responses on the large T chart on the left side.  Also write each machine on a 3x5 card.  Display a hammer, screw, ramp, pulley, and wheel and axle and the wedge, which is not covered in the video but is one of the six simple machines.  Match the word (the simple machine) to the item. Explain that these are simple machines.  They make work easier.  Define force as the energy that it takes to do work.  Have the students create their own T chart on the 11x17 piece of paper.  Label the top with simple machines and leave the rest blank.

FOCUS FOR VIEWING
To give students a specific reason for viewing say, "You will be creating a T chart similar to the one I created after the song.  In order for you to complete your chart you will need to listen and watch for the name of each simple machine, examples of the machine, and what work it helps us with."

VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin video when words "ramps, levers, and pulleys" appear on the screen. Pause when Bill says, "Simple machines let us change the size and direction of forces.  They're machines, they're simple, they're easier."  Identify the simple machines as ramps, levers, wheels, pulleys.  These are the machines that have been mentioned thus far in the video.  List each one of these items on the left side of the T chart.  Be sure to monitor so students will leave space between each word.  Resume video.   Pause  when Bill says, "Pulley is changing the direction of force."  Ask the students how the pulley is changing the direction of force.  (answer- it is lifting from above not the bottom)  Have the students add this to the right side of their T chart next to the word Pulley. Resume video.  Pause:  when Bill says, "Hey, you want to see it again?" (SCIENCE CAM  appears on screen)  Define the words lever and fulcrum (answer- lever lifts items and fulcrum is the pivot point).  Add these to the right side of the T chart, emphasizing that the lever changes the direction of the force, it is lifting from the back.  Fast forward through the replay on the science cam.  Resume video when the words "Try This" appear on the screen.  Pause when the boy says, "Like all levers this one has three parts, two ends and a fulcrum."  ( He is pointing to these parts on the spoon he is using for a catapult.)  With the students working in pairs, distribute the spoons and ping pong balls.  Hang the piece of butcher paper on a wall.  Tell the students that they are going to make a catapult.  Have one student in the pair toss the ping pong ball in the air gently, observe how high it went according to the marks on the butcher paper.  Have the other student put the ping pong ball on the spoon and hit the other end to throw the ball in the air, observe again how high it went according to the marks on the butcher paper. Discuss the differences in observations.  Explain that the catapult is a lever that will change the direction of force and should make the ball go higher.  Fast forward video through the wood catapult scene.  Resume video when Bill is showing a  poster of levers. Pause when Bill is finished explaining about a lever and the words "Simple Machines" appears on the screen.  Using the T chart have the students write down examples of levers.  (answers-hammer, crowbar, and fore arm)  Under the word lever define fulcrum as the pivot point of the lever. Fast forward through the see/saw science.  Resume video when "Simple Machines" appears on the screen in an oval background.  Pause when Bill says, "It's a bunch of levers all pivoting around one fulcrum, like a wheel, see?"  (He spins the wheel)  Have the students add the word wheel to the left section of the T chart.  On the right side of the chart have the list of  things that have wheels.  (answer-cars, bikes, wheelchairs, grocery carts, the answers will vary)  Fast forward through the bicycle and gear section with the children.  Resume video when "Tour de Science" appears on the screen.  Pause  at "TRY THIS"  (Bill has just gone through the ceiling with a lift) Have the students add ramp to their T chart on the left.  On the right write a description of a ramp (answer- a simple machine in which you will walk farther, but it takes less work than a ladder or climbing a pole).  Discuss how a stairway is a ladder and ramp combined.  Stairs are at more of an angle so there is a longer distance, like a ladder sideways. Fast Forward.  Resume video when Bill is at the top of a spiral staircase. Pause when Bill says, "So spiral staircases, screws, ramps, staircases are all simple machines."  (The screw driver is driving in a screw)  Have the students add screw to the left side of the T chart.  On the right side define screw as a ramp wrapped around a rod.  Resume video.  Pause when Bill is pointing to a poster of screws and says, "...you can even make hamburger."  Again, have the students add screw to the T chart.  On the right add things you can do with a screw.  (answer-jack up cars, jack up houses, make hamburger)  Fast Forward video to where they are shuffling pictures of Bill. Resume video when the car is going down spiral ramp  Pause when the words  "Simple Machines" appear on a black rectangle. Ask the students how the spiral ramp is an example of a screw, a simple machine, in the real world.  (answer-some may vary, it takes less space, it is a ramp twisted around a rod)  Ask who they could ask to verify their answer. (answers will vary, they could visit a garage and look at  space for a parking lot)  Resume video to watch Brute Force Moving Company.  Fast forward through "Way Cool Scientist."  Resume at the end of segment on "Way Cool Scientist."   Pause when "555-EASY" appears and announcer announces it for the second time.  Have the students compare/contrast the moving companies using a venn diagram.  (answer-Brute Force Company uses muscles and big guys, both use force and do work, Simply Movers uses levers, ramps, pulleys, and smaller people)  Resume video.  Stop video when Bill yells, "Science!"  and is being lifted by a crane. Have the students add pulley to their T chart and on the right define pulley. (lifts things from the top)  Add crane also as an example of a pulley.

POST VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Review the completed T chart.  Complete the chart in the front of the room with the students response.  Add the wedge to the chart and use an ax as an example of a wedge.

Experiment or Create the following simple machines:
Wheel and Axle:  use two match box cars, one with wheels one without.  Use a tiled, or  smooth surface and roll one without wheels and measure with the ruler the distance it traveled.   Roll the other and measure the distance which it travels.  Compare which went farther and discuss why it did  concluding that the simple machine made the work easier and therefore the  car with wheels traveled further.

Have a student walk around the outside of the school timing how long it takes to complete the task.  Have a student ride a bike around the building following the same route and time how long it took.  Discuss why riding the bike took less time to cover the same distance, again concluding that the simple machine made the work easier.

Have the students try to pull a nail out of a piece of wood with their hands. Then have the students pull the nail out of the wood using a hammer.  Ask  why the nail came out using a lever, discuss how the force was changed when using the hammer enabling the nail to be pulled out.

Make a pulley by cutting the bottom wire from coat hangers and bending the two "legs" so that one goes through the hole of a spool and out the other end, the other "leg" goes through the hole at the other end of the spool.   Then bend the wire down on opposite sides of the spool to hold it firmly in place. (make two of these)  With a screw eye, attach one spool pulley near one side of the room.  Run a loop of string around both pulleys and tie the ends of the rope to a plastic container.  Send messages across the room.

ACTION PLAN
Visit a construction sight.  Keep track of all of the simple machines that are seen.
Interview a construction worker asking about how simple machines impact his job.

EXTENSIONS:
Language Arts
Create a book using pictures of simple machines from magazines to illustrate the machine.  Write a description of the machine and how it makes work easier.

Write a song about simple machines.

Social Studies/Science
Research inventors of simple machines.  Write a research paper or create a time line for when the machines were invented.

Art
Design a "homework" machine.  Include simple machines that could be used to create the machine and describe how the machine would make work easier.

Drama
Act out different simple machines.  For example twist to represent a screw,  stomp to represent a hammer, the students can create many more.

Technology
Students can visit AC Gilberts Discover Village and create their own simple toys at:    http://www.acgilbert.org/programs/engineer.html
Teachers can reach web sites for simple machines at:
http://risc.usi.edu/msampson/simple.html
Students and teachers can visit the Science Aboard Ship website at
http://www.kedt.org
Click on the Science Aboard Ship icon.  There are student activities under Kid Fun Zone, teacher material under Teachers and Parents, and excellent definitions and pictures of simple machines under Definitions.

Updated:  April 01, 2008