Teaching Searchlight Books™
How Do Simple Machines Work?
Interest Level: Grades 3–5
Reading Level: Grade 3
Standards
Titles in this series:
Put
Put
Put
Put
Put
Put
Inclined Planes to the Test
Levers to the Test
Pulleys to the Test
Screws to the Test
Wedges to the Test
Wheels and Axles to the Test
National Science Education
•
•
•
•
Science as inquiry: abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Science as inquiry: understanding about scientific inquiry
Physical Science: properties of objects and materials
Science and Technology: understanding about science
and technology
AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy
• The Nature of Science The Scientific Worldview:
Know that science is a process of trying to figure out
how the world works by making careful observations and
trying to make sense of those observations. Scientific Inquiry: Know that scientific investigations
may take many different forms, including observing
what things are like or what is happening somewhere,
collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments.
• The Nature of Technology Technology and Science:
Know that throughout all of history, people everywhere
have invented and used tools. Most tools of today
are different from those of the past but many are
modifications of very ancient tools.
• Common Themes Systems: Know that in something that
consists of many parts, the parts usually influence one another.
• Habits of Mind Values and Attitudes: Be able to keep clear
and accurate records of investigations and observations. Manipulation and Observation: Be able to keep written
or electronic records of information so that the records
are understandable weeks or months later.
Common Core Reading
• Key Ideas and Details
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
• Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Common Core Mathematics
• Research to Build and Present Knowledge
Multiple Intelligences
Utilized
• Verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial,
bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal
™
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
2
TEACHING HOW DO SIMPLE MACHINES WORK?
Lesson 1
Scientific Investigation
Purpose
Students will learn how simple machines work by
reading and performing simple experiments.
Pretest
•What are simple machines? What
are complicated machines?
Materials
•How Do Simple Machines
Work? series
•pencils
•Scientific Investigation Lab
Notes pp. 5–6
Prepare
•Make copies of Scientific
Investigation Lab Notes pp. 5–6.
•Sort students into reading groups
of four to six.
Read
•As a class, preview chapter
headings, pictures, and captions.
•Students will read the books with
partners or in small groups.
Model
•Discuss and clarify points of confusion
and check for student understanding.
•Preview Scientific Investigation Lab
Notes pp. 5–6.
Lesson 2
Simple Machines Journal
Materials
•How Do Simple Machines
Work? series
•Journal p. 7
•pencils
•crayons or colored pencils
Prepare
•Prepare to show Journal p. 7 on a
whiteboard or overhead projector.
•To teach this lesson electronically,
copy the prompts on p. 7 to a file
using word processing, slideshow,
or blogging software.
•To teach this lesson on paper, make a
copy of Journal p. 7 for each student.
Pretest
•List two or three ways you use
simple machines every day.
Practice
•Follow the directions in the text to
complete each experiment.
•Students will use Scientific
Investigation Lab Notes pp. 5–6 to
keep track of their experiments.
Discuss
•Why is each step of the
investigation process important?
Evaluate
•Evaluate Scientific Investigation
Lab Notes pp. 5–6 for
completeness.
Purpose
Students will keep a journal of how they use
simple machines in their daily lives.
Model
•Explain that students will keep
track of six simple machines in
their daily lives. They will keep an
electronic or print journal of what
they learn.
•Students will find one example
of each simple machine: inclined
plane, lever, pulley, screw, wedge,
and wheel and axle.
•Review the prompts in Journal p. 7.
Read
•Read How Do Simple Machines
Work? series.
Practice
•Over a week, students will use
their journals to describe and
illustrate the simple machines they
see and use.
•If you are using software for this
lesson, each student will complete
Journal p. 7 electronically.
•If you are doing this lesson on
paper, students may copy the
prompts from Journal p. 7 to their
science notebooks and hand in the
notebooks for grading.
Discuss
•How easy or difficult was it to find
simple machines in your life?
Evaluate
•Assess students’ journal entries
for content, organization, and
mechanics.
•Assess students’ discussion of
what they learned about simple
machines.
™
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
3
TEACHING HOW DO SIMPLE MACHINES WORK?
Lesson 3
Simple Machines in
Complicated Machines
Materials
•How Do Simple Machines
Work? series
•Sample Drawing p. 8
•several machines (eggbeater,
can opener, office chair,
electric drill, toys, etc.—
remove batteries from all
electronics)
•small hand tools
•drawing paper
•pencils
Prepare
•Make a transparency of Sample
Drawing p. 8, or prepare to show
the PDF page electronically on a
screen.
•Collect hand tools.
•Collect broken toys or other
complicated machines, or ask
students to bring them from home.
Purpose
Students will take apart a complicated machine
to identify, draw, and chart the simple machines
contained within it.
•Make an example chart listing the
simple machines shown in Sample
Drawing p. 8.
Pretest
•Which simple machines do
you expect to find in these
complicated machines?
Read
•Read How Do Simple Machines
Work? series.
Model
•Show and discuss Sample Drawing
p. 8. Explain your sample chart
listing the simple machines found
in this complicated machine.
Practice
•In small groups, students will
use hand tools to take apart a
complicated machine.
•Set out parts from the complicated
machines and sort them by
function (screws, wedges, etc.)
•Draw the complicated machine
and several of its parts in detail.
•Make a chart listing each type of
simple machine and explaining
its function in the complicated
machine.
Discuss
•Did you find any parts that didn’t
fit into the simple machine
category?
•What surprised you when you took
apart the complicated machine?
Evaluate
•Evaluate each student’s drawing
and chart on detail of observations
and drawing skills, as well as
completeness of charts.
™
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
4
TEACHING HOW DO SIMPLE MACHINES WORK?
Assessment
What Are Simple Machines?
Purpose
Students will define the six kinds of simple
machines and explain how they are similar
and different.
Read
•Read How Do Simple Machines
Work? series.
Materials
•How Do Simple Machines
Work? series
•paper
•pencils
Prepare
•Draw a two-column chart on the
board, titled Simple Machines
Comparison Chart.
Pretest
•Define these simple machines:
inclined planes, levers, pulleys,
screws, wedges, and wheels and
axles.
Model
•Choose two simple machines and
add them to the Simple Machines
Comparison Chart on the board.
•Demonstrate how to write the
similarities and differences between
these two simple machines.
Practice
•Invite students to make their own
charts on their own paper. They
will each choose two machines and
complete their charts individually
or in pairs.
Discuss
•How do simple machines help
people complete their tasks?
•How are the simple machines in
these books alike?
•How are they different?
Evaluate
•Students will write a paragraph
or short essay on how simple
machines function to help people
complete tasks. To assess student
understanding of the unit, evaluate
after completing the lessons in the
How Do Simple Machines Work?
Teaching Guide.
™
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
5
Teaching How Do Simple Machines Work?
Name
Date
Scientific Investigation Lab Notes
Directions: Use these pages to take notes on your experiment.
Title of experiment:
Materials needed:
Observations: What did you notice before you started?
Draw what you saw.
Question: What do you want to find out?
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
6
Teaching How Do Simple Machines Work?
Scientific Investigation Lab Notes (continued)
Hypothesis: What do you think will happen?
Procedure: What did you do to test your hypothesis?
Results: What happened?
Draw what you did and what happened.
Conclusion: What did you learn? Did your results agree with your hypothesis?
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
7
Teaching How Do Simple Machines Work?
Name
Date
Journal
Type of Simple Machine
What is it? Name and describe the simple machine used/observed.
How is it used? Describe how the simple machine is used.
How does it work? Describe the forces involved in the use of this simple machine.
What does it look like? Draw a picture of the simple machine used/observed.
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4
8
Teaching How Do Simple Machines Work?
Sample Drawing: A Complicated Machine and Its Parts
lever
screw
wheel and axle
Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com
ISBN 978-0-7613-8245-4