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Lesson Plan-Simple Machines Michele WilhelmUniversity of Richmond April 18, 2011

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Lesson PlanSimple Machines

IntroductionLesson topic: Simple MachinesLength of Lesson:45 minutesVA Standards of Learning3.2: The student will investigate and understand simple machines and theiruses. Key concepts include

y types of simple machines (lever, screw, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane, and wedge)

y how simple machines function

Cognitive ObjectivesStudents will:

y recognize the six types of simple machines;

y define the utility of each;

y differentiate and classify examples of each in common school and household items

Materials/Technologyand Advanced Preparation

Pre-lesson:

Set up the board game, Mouse Trapin a central locationcover it with a

sheet until neededand have theEdheads site ready to launch.

Handouts: y SimpleMachines

Books: y none Visual aids:y Simple Machines movie

y Edheads site

Technology:

y Projector

y Computery Internet Access

y 4-5 student laptops

Other:y Clamp, pulley, wood triangle,

hammer, doorknob, rulerMouse Trap board game

Teachingand Learning SequenceIntroduction/Anticipatory Set

y Stand behind the covered table while a student volunteer passes out the Simple Machines handoutand tell the class that beneath the cover, there are several simple machines waiting to bedemonstrated. Their job is to try and determine which ones will be used.

Lesson Development

y Project the handout on the board.

y Introduce the basics of the simple machines by demonstrating their use with the clamp (screw),pulley, wood triangle (wedge), hammer (lever), doorknob (wheel and axle), and ruler propped up on

books (inclined plane).

y Return to the covered table and tell students to pay close attention to the simple machines about tobe used.

y Uncover Mouse Trap and activate the game. (More than once may be necessary.)

y Have a discussion to see if all of the simple machines can be identified (slide and steps: inclinedplanes, crank: wheel and axle, diving board: lever).

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Lesson Plan-Simple Machines Michele WilhelmUniversity of Richmond April 18, 2011

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y Divide students into 4-5 small groups and assign eachgroup a laptop ready to launch (see right)http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/.Groups should move choose 2 rooms in the house andidentify the simple machines within and their uses.

Closure

Play the Simple Machines movie to wrap things up.Tellstudents to shout out what type of simple machine is beingused before the answer appears.

HomeworkPost Edheads game on the class website and assign it ashomework.Students must identify the simple machines andtheir uses in the remaining 2 rooms of the house, print theirscore, and bring it in to class by the end of the week.

AssessmentFormativeAre students participating in determining the simple machines used in Mouse Trap? Walk

around and listen to the observations made during the Edheads exercise. Do thecomments accuratelyrepresent the information obtained during the presentation?

SummativeThesummative assessment will be held at the end of the week (see attached document).

References

Edheads.org. (2011). http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/. Accessed on April 16,2011.

Robson, D., Jellie, D., Kimpfler, C., Norfleet, S. (2003). A WebQuest for Elementary Science.http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webquests/machines/. Accessed on April 16, 2011