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Lesson Plan
Better Lesson

Better Lesson: Engineering Solutions

For Students K - 1st
Anyone who has attempted one of those "claw machine" games at local restaurants or retailers knows how impossible it seems to win. This activity will get students using the engineering design process to develop a claw that will actually...
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Interactive
Shodor Education Foundation

Shodor Interactivate: Function Machine

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students investigate very simple functions by trying to guess the algebraic form from inputs and outputs.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Design and Build a Rube Goldberg

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this two-part activity, students design and build a Rube Goldberg machine. The open ended problem uses the engineering design process and can have a preset purpose, such as rolling a marble into a cup from a distance, or can be left...
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Handout
Integrated Publishing

Integrated Publishing: The Wheel & Axle

For Students 9th - 10th
A solid chapter explanation of the wheel & axle simple machine. Examples, the basic math, explanation of mechanical advantage, drawings, solved problem. Use the Next button. There are four pages in this chapter.
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Handout
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Sliding Down an Incline Plane

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Here is a simulation demonstrating an object placed on an inclined plane. The user will vary the slope of the plane to see the relationship the slope has on the gravity of the object and the static friction.
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Unknown Type
My Science Site

Finding Examples of Machines [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Ready, set, go! Send your students racing to find examples of machines with this reproducible. A great way to enhance student learning on an unit on work and machines. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
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Activity
Other

D&t Online: Linkages

For Students 9th - 10th
This site describes different types of linkages and how they are used in simple machines.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Games Machines Play: Streamlined Design

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Explore the streamlined shapes of submarines and design an effective hull shape. Observe how streamlining affects a vehicle as it is pulled through a water-filled trough.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Gears Go Round!

For Students 3rd - 8th
Music boxes, bicycles, and clocks all have one thing in common: GEARS. You might say that gears make the world turn, since they are in so many mechanical instruments. How do they work and how do you know which gears to use? Find out in...
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Graphic
Curated OER

University of Rochester: Steam Engine Simple Machine

For Students 9th - 10th
image of Steam Engine Simple Machine
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Handout
Integrated Publishing

Integrated Publishing: Mechanical Advantage

For Students 9th - 10th
Good descriptions and diagrams to help explain the mechanical advantage of machines. Includes sample calculations of this quantity.
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Activity
Other

D&t Online: Gears

For Students 9th - 10th
This site illustrates how gears work and how they are used in simple machines.
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Website
Other

Cabaret Mechanical Theatre

For Students 9th - 10th
These wooden, puppet-like machines operate on simple engineering: a turn crank. Watch them in action and see them in a full 360 degree view.
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Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Games Machines Play: Rube Goldberg Challenge

For Students 4th - 8th
Explore the cartoons of Rube Goldberg and design a complex machine to perform a simple task. Use scientific design elements and information about energy transfer to build a model of the machine.
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Graphic
Other

The Art of Carlos Zapata

For Students 9th - 10th
The simple mechanics of these moving wooden puppets are old-fashioned, yet still appealing to today's audience.
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Nasa: The Screw

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
In this lesson plan students learn how to make a screw and compare how many turns it takes for different screws to embed into a piece of wood.
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Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Moving Cans Experiment

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Investigate motion using straws and two soda cans.
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Interactive
Shodor Education Foundation

Shodor Interactivate: Function Machine

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Students explore simple linear functions. The resource includes the activity and instructor resources.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing/block & Tackle (Or Pulley)

For Students 9th - 10th
Very substantial four-page article on how the block & tackle works. (It's a simple machine -- a pulley.) Lots of illustration. Mechanical advantage, formulae, solved problems, all here. Good source for info.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing/block & Tackle (Or Pulley)

For Students 9th - 10th
Very substantial four-page article on how the block & tackle works. (It's a simple machine -- a pulley.) Lots of illustration. Mechanical advantage, formulae, solved problems, all here. Good source for info.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing/block & Tackle (Or Pulley)

For Students 9th - 10th
Very substantial four-page article on how the block & tackle works. (It's a simple machine -- a pulley.) Lots of illustration. Mechanical advantage, formulae, solved problems, all here. Good source for info.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing/the Screw

For Students 9th - 10th
A full and complete discussion of the simple machine called the screw, a modified inclined plane. Many examples and drawings and applications.
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Interactive
Math Science Nucleus

I. Science Ma Te: Integrating Science, Math and Technology

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This site offers a wealth of online textbook-related materials that encourage the discovery of science in the world around us. Enter the site to access material on specific topics. Each section contains reading material (complete with...
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Screw

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a screw is, how it works and its mechanical advantage.

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