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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Have Work To Do - Science

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars begin to think of ways to make work easier. They will focus on ways to extend their abilities to lift heavy things. They will identify levers, pulleys, and inclined planes through the examination of concrete objects and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval Catapults

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students design and build a working catapult or trebuchet to explore the concepts of force, motion, and distance.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fire Safety in the Home

For Teachers K
Students discover the importance of fire safety. In this fire prevention lesson, students identify problems in a house that could lead to a fire and draw their own homes that include the appropriate fire prevention tools. The students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forces Applied to an Object

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders predict, observe, and compare what happens when a force is applied to an object. In this forces lesson, 4th graders complete a 'swinging hammer' activity to learn about forces and motion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Levers

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students brainstorm if they think that any lever would use the same amount of paperclips. They break into small groups and use a data sheet as well as a lever, Lego person, fulcrum, and some paperclips and prove what they think by taking...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Can You Make of It?

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the various uses of a paper cup. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students investigate various ways to use a paper cup by identifying its characteristics. Students sketch their discovery.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-The Gadget War

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students read The Gadget War by Betsy Duffey. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding inventors and inventions. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library connections.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer

For Teachers K
Students study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering activity, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Students then design their own...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Saturday Morning Superhero:

For Teachers K - 1st
Students explore the concept of engineering design. In this engineering design process lesson, students read The Saturday Morning Superhero and discuss the problem solving steps that the main character encounters as he creates a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sparky's Engineer Activity Book

For Teachers K
Students complete their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book. For this engineering lesson, students are guided by their teacher in completing their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book which reviews what engineers make and what tools and materials...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Space Shuttle

For Teachers K
Pupils explore the concept of space. In this space lesson plan, students pretend to be aerospace engineers. Pupils build space ships out of cardboard tubes. Students discuss what aerospace engineers do. Pupils model their space ships...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wheel & Axle Tractor

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Young scholars design and build a tractor using LEGO materials. They write and draw their designs.
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Lesson Plan
SEDL

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory: Simple Machines [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This large PDF file contains seven lessons on simple machines. Includes illustrations. Requires Adobe Reader.
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Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
The purpose of this lesson is to learn about the different types of simple machines and their uses. PDF (requires Adobe Reader) and RTF (requires Word or Notebook).
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Inventions Using Simple Machines Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students will have completed a unit on the six simple machines (lever, inclined plane, pulley, wedge, screw, and wheel and axle) before beginning this project. Students will choose to investigate an invention composed of one or more...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Simple Machines

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
During this lesson, students learn about the six types of simple machines. They define each type of machine, experiment with each type, utilize the Internet to explore each type of machine and build their own simple machine. This lesson...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier. Students are introduced to the six types of simple machines - the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley - in the context of the...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: How to Make Something Simple, Hard

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers will have completed a unit of forces and motion prior to the current unit of study on simple machines (lever, inclined plane, screw, wedge, pulley, wheel and axle). Students will review the functions and examples of...
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Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Simple Machines (Grades 1 To12)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson plan learners start by trying to open a paint can with their bare hands. Eventually, they will use a lever to open it. Various activities are used to enforce different simple machines.
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Nasa: Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lesson plan site that contains activities designed to give grades 3 and 4 experiences in using simple machines.
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Simple Machines and Modern Day Engineering Analogies

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students apply the mechanical advantages and problem-solving capabilities of six types of simple machines (wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley) as they discuss modern structures in the spirit of the engineers and...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Levers That Lift

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This lesson introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers: the lever, the pulley, and the wheel-and-axle. In general, engineers use the lever to magnify the force applied to an object, the pulley to lift...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Powerful Pulleys

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students continue to explore the story of building a pyramid, learning about the simple machine called a pulley. They learn how a pulley can be used to change the direction of applied forces and move/lift extremely heavy objects, and the...
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Lesson Plan
Other

How to smile.org: Building Pulleys

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An activity where students use pulley systems to pick up a paint can and move an eraser from the ground to the top of a desk. After completing this activity, students will understand how pulley systems can help us do work.