One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Unit: Fast and Furious Forces
General Task
Life is Easy with Simple Machines
Subject Area: Physical Science
Grade: 8
S8P3. Students will investigate relationship between force, mass, and the motion of objects.
c. Demonstrate the effect of simple machines (lever, inclined plane, pulley, wedge, screw,
wheel and axle) on work.
S8CS1. Students will explore the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science
and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works.
a. Understand the importance of—and keep—honest, clear, and accurate records in science.
b. Understand that hypotheses can be valuable even if they turn out not to be completely
accurate.
S8CS2. Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.
a. Follow correct procedures for use of scientific apparatus.
b. Demonstrate appropriate techniques in all laboratory situations.
c. Follow correct protocol for identifying and reporting safety problems and violations.
S8CS3. Students will have the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and
following scientific explanations.
a. Analyze scientific data by using, interpreting, and comparing numbers in several equivalent
forms, such as integers, fractions, decimals, and percents.
f. Use ratios and proportions, including constant rates, in appropriate problems.
S8CS4. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating equipment
and materials in scientific activities utilizing safe laboratory procedures.
b. Use appropriate tools and units for measuring objects and/or substances.
c. Learn and use standard safety practices when conducting scientific investigations.
Gifted:
S8CS6. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.
c. Write for scientific purposes incorporating information from a circle, bar, or line graph, data,
tables, diagrams, and symbols.
d. Organize scientific information in appropriate tables, charts, and graphs, and identify
relationships they reveal.
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 1 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Gifted:
S8CS9. Students will understand the features of the process of scientific inquiry.
Students will apply the following to inquiry learning practices:
b. Scientific investigations usually involve collecting evidence, reasoning, devising hypotheses,
and formulating explanations to make sense of collected evidence.
e. Accurate record keeping, data sharing, and replication of results are essential for
maintaining an investigator’s credibility with other scientists and society.
f. Scientists use technology and mathematics to enhance the process of scientific inquiry.
Enduring Understanding:
Simple machines are tools that help us do work.
Simple machines make work easier for us changing the amount of force (pushing or pulling)
needed to do certain kinds of work.
Essential Questions:
How do simple machines make our lives easier?
ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES
Pre-Assessment: To assess how familiar your students are with simple machines, go to the following
link and let students take turns predicting whether the list of common objects are simple machines and,
if so, predict the type of machine. Answers and pictures are provided to make this an interesting and
informative introduction to simple machines.
http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/~mwampole/1-resources/simple-machines/index.html
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 2 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Outcome / Performance
Expectations:
General Teacher Instructions:
In this exploration students will identify different types of simple
machines, compare their similarities and differences and explain
how simple machines are designed to help us to work.
While students have used simple machines hundreds of times by
the time they reach middle school, they are often unaware of
what they are or how they function. As a starting point, we can
describe simple machines as tools that we use to help us do work.
While students usually think that “work” means to exert oneself
by doing mental or physical activity, the term work in science
means to exert a force on an object in order to move it.
Most machines function by changing the amount of force
(pushing or pulling) needed to do certain kinds of work. Since
human bodies are designed to more to move than they are to
push or pull, machines are usually designed to take a large
movement with a little force and convert it into a short
movement with a stronger force. For example, a bottle opener
allows us to convert a large movement up with a little force from
our arm, to a short movement down with a greater force on the
cap (enough to open it).
There are several types of simple machines that each helps us in
different ways to make work easier. In this exploration, we will
begin by asking students to do some basic research on the six
common types of simple machines. Using their textbook, notes,
resource books and the Internet, they must describe and draw an
example of each the six types of simple machines.
a. lever – a rigid bar that pivots about a fixed point
(fulcrum)
b. pulley – a wheel with a groove and a rope that is usually
used to help lift an object by changing the direction of a
pull (force)
c. inclined plane – a slanted surface that is used to help
raise an object
d. wheel and axel - a wheel is locked to a central rod
(called the axel) so that when one turns the other turns –
a longer motion at the outside of the wheel is converted
into a shorter more powerful force at the axel, example:
steering wheel – also works in reverse, a short powerful
force at the axel will move the wheels outer edge a long
distance but without much force, example, pedaling a
bike
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 3 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
e. wedge – an inclined plane that moves – usually a wedge
is a combination of two inclined planes – wedges are use
to split, cut, or divide other objects – an axe, knife, and
our canine teeth are examples of wedges
f. screw – a rod with a thread wrapped around it to form a
spiral – it is used as a fastener to hold objects together
Materials:
Choose any ten of the following simple machines for your secret
machines: Screw driver, chisel, corkscrew, can opener, rope and
pulley, faucet handle, tape dispenser, steering wheel, plastic
knife, hammer, pliers, broom, doorknob, plastic sandbox shovel.
Paper bags or small boxes
Inexpensive simple machines like these can be purchased at local
dollar stores.
As an alternative, you can use laminated pictures of simple
machines for your Secret Machines.
Materials Needed:
Task with Student Directions:
See attachment at the end of this document
Resources:
Great Simple Machine Animations
http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/
Nice summary of simple machines with on-line activities
http://www.mikids.com/Smachines.htm
More great links to simple machine sites
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/simmach.html
Homework / Extension:
Instructional Task
Accommodations for ELL Students:
As a homework/extension for this activity, students can design
their own tool that uses at least one simple machine. The tool
should be designed to make a simple everyday task easier for
them to accomplish – in other words, in should make work easier.
Students can present their designs to the class and should show
how their design uses at least one simple machine to make work
easier. Their presentation should include a PowerPoint,
brochure, podcast, or some other creative format.
Pair with more advanced native language speaking partner ( allow
for translation in native language for comprehension) as needed
Provide bilingual support using word to word translation such as
dictionaries, and glossaries
Provide native language text books and support material
whenever possible
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 4 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Instructional Task
Accommodations for Students
with Specific Disabilities:
Review and Implement IEP accommodations for specific student
needs
Other accommodations may include:
Allow extended time for written tasks
Post all new vocabulary on a word wall
Give instructions clearly and restate them in other ways so all
students understand
Give instructions clearly and restate them in other ways so all
students understand.
Provide students with written step by step instructions for the lab
procedure; keep language simple
Instructional Task
Accommodations for Gifted
Students:
Students can research how we can combine several basic simple
machines in order to construct a complex machine. For example,
a bicycle is a complex machine that uses several simple machines
to accomplish its function of moving the rider down the street.
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 5 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Life is Easier with Simple Machines
In this exploration you will investigate how simple machines are designed to make our lives easier.
Simple machines are tools that help us do work. Simple machines make work easier for us changing the
amount of force (pushing or pulling) needed to do certain kinds of work. Since human bodies are
designed to more to move than they are to push or pull, most machines are designed to take a large
movement with a little force and convert it into a short movement with a stronger force. For example,
we could use a pliers like the one above to convert a large movement with a little force from our hand,
to a short movement down with a greater force on the nut (enough to break it open).
We will begin this activity by completing the following table in which you should describe and draw an
example of each the six types of simple machines. You may use your books, the internet, or other
sources to complete it.
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 6 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Part 1:
Types of Simple
Machines
Description
Diagram
Lever
Inclined Plane
Wedge
Wheel and axle
Pulley
Screw
Part 2:
Now it is time for you to apply what you have just learned about machines in order to help them identify
a series of “Secret Machines”. Each of the Secret Machines is a common household item that you
probably will recognize. For each Secret Machine, your job is to remove it from the bag, determine its
common name, describe what you think it does, and then identify as one of the six types of simple
machines. You will have 3 minutes at each station to complete your observations and analysis. At the
end of the 3 minutes, you will rotate to the next station until each station is complete.
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 7 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Secret
Machine
Common Name
What you think it does?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 8 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
Type of Simple Machine
One Stop Shop For Teachers
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th GRADE
Questions:
1. After discussing your ideas about work as a class, explain what scientists mean by the term
work?
2. What is the advantage of using a simple machine?
3. Of the six different simple machines we learned about, which one do you think is the most
useful or valuable to people? Explain your answer.
4. Choose one of the Secret Simple Machines that you investigated and, in your words, explain
how simple machines help us to do work.
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8  Fast and Furious Forces
July 2008  Page 9 of 9
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved