Summary Experiment with levers, wheel and axle, pulleys and inclined planes to understand how force is increased by simple machines Science content Physics: Motion and Forces, Newton’s Laws, Gravity (K, 2, 6) Physics: Simple and complex Machines (5) Activities in this lesson Levers: measuring forces Lever for lifting (heavy) things Household levers Pulley free play Pulleys: measuring forces in composite pulley systems Pulleys to lift a person or heavy load Simple machines on a bike Wheel and forces Inclined planes, wedges and screws Lever projecting a ball Pulleys to pull each other together Procedure Do a selection of the activities, with several simple machines. See other lesson plans for a focus on Levers or Pulleys. Favourite Levers and Pulleys workshop:Feel the force in levers with fulcrum in different places (four stations for students to move through). Demonstration of a few Household levers to show how the fulcrum position can vary.Pulley free play, taking most of the lesson. Demonstration of different composite pulley systems, and how they trade force for distance. Summarize that simple machines transform between a smaller force moving over a greater distance and a larger force moving over a smaller distance. They can make jobs easier. Several simple machines linked together make a complex (or compound machine). Grades taught Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6
