Subject: Science
Lesson Length: 30 - 45 minutes
Topic: Simple Machines
Brief Description: Students will demonstrate an understanding of simple machines and how they are used to make work easier.
Know Before You Start: Students should be familiar with the following vocabulary: lever, inclined plane, screw, wedge, wheel and axle, and pulley.
Hook:
- Demonstrate a task without using a simple machine and then perform the same task with a simple machine. For example, you might ask students to remove a nail from a piece of wood with their hands, and then to try again with the aid of a hammer/lever.
Activity:
- Explain that simple machines are basic mechanical devices that change the direction or magnitude of a force, allowing us to do more work with less effort.
- Have students create a six-panel comic showing examples of simple machines in use (e.g., seesaw/lever, bicycle/wheel and axle) and explain how they make work easier.
Closure:
- Have students share their comics with the whole class or in small groups.
- Remind students that simple machines are all around us. Ask them to see how many simple machines they can find in their homes.
Differentiation:
- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Provide a simple machines reference sheet.
Resources:
- Comic to print or display: Comic.
- Reference Sheet: Simple Machines
Suggested Content Packs:
Make a comic about the Amusement Park
Make a comic about Castles
Make a comic about Ancient Egypt
Make a comic about the Airport
Suggested Story Starters:
