Children And Machines
Young children are very interested in everything in their environment.
What are these things? What are they for? How do they work?
There are machines all around American children. These include vehicles, household
appliances, things in shopping malls and restaurants. These examples are complex
machines, fueled by gasoline and electricity.
There are also simple machines, which have few parts and can be operated using
‘person power.’
Simple Machines are everywhere in the young child’s environment at home and in the
classroom.
During the Renaissance, scholars identified six ‘basic’ simple machines. To learn more
about simple machines, visit this link from Princeton University:
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Simple_machine.html
This newsletter describes the Renaissance scholar’s six simple machines and provides
suggestions for how parents and teachers can help children notice and identify them,
and - over an extended period of time - understand how they work.
If you would like to have lesson plans that incorporate language, literacy and math goals
into the investigation of simple machines, please visit www.ScienceStart.com. We
provide monthly (20 day) lesson plans on How Things Move and Simple Machines, in
addition to weekly and daily lesson plans for Movement and Machines. To compliment
our Children And Machines theme, these weekly and monthly lesson plans are currently
on sale for 30% off!
What is a machine?
A machine is a device that makes work easier by transforming energy. This means that
a machine increases our ability to lift or move objects. People use many different
machines every day. Some machines, such as cars and washing machines have many
different parts and require fuel such as electricity or gasoline. Simple machines have
few parts and can be combined into more complex machines. For example, a bicycle
includes pulleys, wheels and axles, and levers. There are six types of simple machines.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A Lever
A Wheel and Axle
A Pulley
A Wedge
An Inclined Plane
A Screw
A Lever consists of a rigid bar that pivots on a fixed point called the fulcrum. The
seesaw is a simple lever that allows children to take turns lifting one another. There are
three different types of levers. In one, such as the seesaw, the fulcrum is between the
effort/force and the load. In another, such as a wheelbarrow, the load is between the
effort/force and the fulcrum. In the third, such as salad tongs, the effort/force is between
the fulcrum and the load.
!
!
!
A Wheel and Axle consists of a circular frame (the wheel) and a circular rod (the axle).
These are fastened together and rotate around the same center point (axis). As they
rotate together, the points on the edge of the wheel move further and faster than the
points on the edge of the axle. The longer motion on the edge of the wheel is converted
to a shorter and more powerful motion on the axle. A screwdriver is a type of wheel
(the handle) and axle (the shaft). Turning the handle on the screwdriver over a longer
distance moves the shank over a shorter distance with more force.
!
A Pulley consists of a wheel and axle in combination with a rope (or cable or belt).
Pulleys allow people to lift heavy loads. The wheel and axle are together but are not
fastened to one another (as in the basic wheel and axle). The rope fits into a groove on
the wheel. One end is attached to the load and the other end is pulled. A single pulley
reduces effort by allowing the person to pull rather than lift the weight. When more
pulleys are added, the person can lift the same load more easily by pulling the rope a
greater distance.
A Wedge is a piece of material, such as metal or wood, that is thick at one end and
tapers to a thin edge at the other end. Wedges can be used in many ways. Doorstops
are wedges used to hold a door open. When splitting logs, wedges are forced into the
end of the log to break it apart. When chopping vegetables, the sharp edge of the knife
enters first.
!
An Inclined Plane is a flat surface that is tilted so that one end is higher than the other.
It is easier to slide or roll an object up (or down) the inclined plane than to lift (or lower)
it. Ramps are a familiar type of inclined plane. Modern buildings often have ramps next
to stairs to make it easier for people in wheelchairs to enter the building. A child’s slide
is an inclined plane.
!
A Screw is an inclined plane (the threads) wrapped around a cylinder. It is used to hold
things together. It is usually made of metal. The top of a screw has a slot that is turned
using a screwdriver. Household objects that use screws include jar lids and light-bulbs.
!
Note to parents and teachers: These links open videos by MocomiKids about each of
the six simple machines. The videos appear to have been designed for elementary and
junior high students; you may or may not want to share them
with your younger children. We are including them because they can give us – adults –
a better understanding of simple machines. We can then use that understanding to
support young children’s learning.
What is a Lever? (MocomiKids):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8RA9Kw_IaE
What is a Wheel and Axle? (MocomiKids):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndT35aqDfAQ
What is a Pulley? (MocomiKids):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
annotation_id=annotation_513372769&feature=iv&src_vid=LiBcur1aqcg&
v=LiarGb_LK10
What is a Wedge? (MocomiKids):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAAwZird80k
What is an Inclined Plane? (MocomiKids)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igrMlzHL-qg
What is a Screw? (MocomiKids) https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dDEhrpFb1BU
Activities with Simple Machines
Concept:
People use simple machines to make their work easier. These simple machines
transform effort so that a smaller effort in one location transforms/changes into a
greater effort at another place. (Please simplify this concept in accord to your
children’s age and understanding; it is not a simple concept!)
Objectives:
In collaboration with an adult, children will:
• Operate, observe, and talk about simple machines and their uses.
• Search for simple machines in the environment, including more complex
machines such as a bicycle.
• Talk about how simple machines made the work easier.
Possible Activities: (These should extend over several months as children’s
understanding increases and various opportunities arise.)
Search the environment for examples of simple machines. Notice how they are being
used.
Gather a variety of screwdrivers and screws, nuts, and bolts.
Compare and contrast them; talk about their various purposes.
Using soft wood or Styrofoam, try inserting a screw with and without a screwdriver.
Try pushing something heavy (maybe a cement block or several bricks).
Put it in a wheelbarrow and talk about why it is easier to move it using the wheelbarrow
instead of simply pushing it.
Try moving something heavy up to a higher surface. Use a ramp to see if it is easier to
slide or lift the heavy object up.
Try removing the top of a can of paint using fingers and using a lever. Why is it easier
with the lever?
www.ScienceStart.com
LMK Early Childhood Enterprises, LTD PO Box 25244 Rochester, NY 14625
Contact: Lucia French (585) 406-6214 [email protected]