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Enduring Understanding:
Simple machines are tools that help us do work.
Simple machines make work easier for us changing the amount of force (pushing or pulling)
needed to do certain kinds of work.
Essential Questions:
How do simple machines make our lives easier?
ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES
Pre-Assessment: To assess how familiar your students are with simple machines, go to the following
link and let students take turns predicting whether the list of common objects are simple machines and,
if so, predict the type of machine. Answers and pictures are provided to make this an interesting and
informative introduction to simple machines.
http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/~mwampole/1-resources/simple-machines/index.html
Materials Needed:
Resources:
http://www.mikids.com/Smachines.htm
More great links to simple machine sites
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/simmach.html
Homework / Extension:
Instructional Task
Accommodations for ELL Students:
Instructional Task
Accommodations for Gifted
Students:
In this exploration you will investigate how simple machines are designed to make our lives easier.
Simple machines are tools that help us do work. Simple machines make work easier for us changing the
amount of force (pushing or pulling) needed to do certain kinds of work. Since human bodies are
designed to more to move than they are to push or pull, most machines are designed to take a large
movement with a little force and convert it into a short movement with a stronger force. For example,
we could use a pliers like the one above to convert a large movement with a little force from our hand,
to a short movement down with a greater force on the nut (enough to break it open).
We will begin this activity by completing the following table in which you should describe and draw an
example of each the six types of simple machines. You may use your books, the internet, or other
sources to complete it.
Part 1:
Types of Simple
Machines
Description
Diagram
Lever
Inclined Plane
Wedge
Pulley
Screw
Part 2:
Now it is time for you to apply what you have just learned about machines in order to help them identify
a series of Secret Machines. Each of the Secret Machines is a common household item that you
probably will recognize. For each Secret Machine, your job is to remove it from the bag, determine its
common name, describe what you think it does, and then identify as one of the six types of simple
machines. You will have 3 minutes at each station to complete your observations and analysis. At the
end of the 3 minutes, you will rotate to the next station until each station is complete.
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science GRADE 8 Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008 Page 7 of 9
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved
Common Name
10
4. Choose one of the Secret Simple Machines that you investigated and, in your words, explain
how simple machines help us to do work.