Behavior Expectations:
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Your actions should promote your own
learning and enhance the classroom
learning environment
If working with a partner, remember to
use a respectful volume to communicate
Submit your best effort
Pace yourself so the menu is complete
by 2:30 pm (you will have an hour and a
half total time)
Simple
Machines
Elementary School
Ms. Ellison’s Mechanics
3rd Grade
Ms. Ellison’s
Simple Machines Menu
Choose One
Scrumptious Side!
Riff-Off
Tune into your inner song writer! You (and
one other partner if you choose) will write and
produce a song or rap about the simple
machines. Once you have written and practiced
your lyrics, record the song on movie maker with
slides of the lyrics. Upload the finished project to Ms.
Ellison’s google classroom. We will post the video onto our
class web page!
Kitchen Quest
Restaurant Rules:
1. First complete the Main Course and one
Side Dish. You may complete those two
tasks in any order.
2. Once you have finished step one, you
may start on dessert.
3. Turn in completed menu items by
2:30pm to the Classwork Inbox, and any
unfinished work into the Catch-Up
4. Have fun!!!
For the Main Course…
Taffy the Turtle’s Tricky Challenge
Taffy the Turtle decided that she wanted to go to
school to learn more about her favorite subject, science.
When she got to school, the school gave her a human
sized desk! You (and one other partner if you choose)
will use the materials found on the back
carpet to construct a compound machine
for Taffy so she can get from the ground
to the top of the desk. Ms. Ellison has a
few rocks next to the supplies that are the
same size and weight as Taffy so you are
sure to be able to lift her up properly. Take a video of
your machine in work and explain what simple
machines you used to create this compound machine.
Save the video to Ms. Ellison’s google classroom. The
videos will be posted to the class web page!
Ever wonder how simple
machines are used in your
house every day? To find
the answer, go to Ms.
Ellison’s Portaportal. Select “EdHead’s Simple Machines”.
Select start, then go into the House and explore the kitchen.
You will look to identify 10 simple machines found in the
kitchen. When you have completed the activity print out
your score sheet to turn in with your completed menu.
Desserts:
Pick out which treats to complete after you’ve
finished your main and side dishes:
Gizmos and Gadgets
Interested in experimenting with the simple machines?
Find “Gizmos-Simple Machines” on Ms. Ellison’s
Portaportal. Launch any of the five gizmos and explore
how changing the aspects of the simple machines
changes the work and effort it takes to move objects.
Write down what you learned on a worksheet you can
find at Ms. Ellison’s desk, then turn it in with your
completed menu.
Did you Know it, You’re a Poet!
Take a moment to reflect on what you have learned so
far about simple and compound machines. Take what
you have learned and create a poem! The poem can be
in any form you are inspired to use.
Deconstruction
Ms. Ellison has placed five different compound machines on
the front table: scissors, a toy bicycle, a pencil sharpener, a
can opener, and a hand powered drill. With the sticky labels
provided on the table, label the simple
machines that make up each of the
compound machines. Take a photo of
your labeled machines with your name
card in the photo, and send the photo
to Ms. Ellison’s cloud.
Talking Pictures
You are going to bring the simple machines to life! Create a
drawing of each of the six simple machines on Doodle
Buddy. Then using Chatterbox,
upload the photos. Pretend to be each
simple machine introducing
themselves and what they are used
for, and what type of jobs you
recommend for each machine. Upload
the finished Chatterboxes to Ms. Ellison’s google classroom,
she will post them to the class web page to be shared!
Scramble and Sort
Take out the “Simple and Compound Machine” picture
file folder from the Learning Toolbox. Using the pieces
provided, put the definitions on the left side in number
order (number one at the top, the last number at the
bottom). Then place the correct term next to the
definition on the right side. When all the pieces are
placed, close the folder and flip it like a pancake. Then
open the folder to reveal a picture on the back side. If
the picture isn’t correctly put together, carefully close
the folder and flip it like a pancake back to check your
definitions and try again.
Still Hungry?
Complete another side dish!
I would plan on using this after we have spent significant time with all of the content, but before the final test and PBE so it
could be a final review for the test and another chance for me to evaluate if my students are ready to apply their knowledge with a
PBE. I chose the design challenge as my main course for two reasons. The first was so they could apply their own ingenuity and their
knowledge of simple and compound machines to create a solution to a problem. The second was to see how my students approached
the problem, and if they had achieved an understanding of the content and could apply it like they would with a PBE. I chose four
different sides to choose from that were equally challenging and that I believed my students would enjoy. The “Riff Off” requires my
students to explain the six simple machines showing a comprehension level of thinking. The “Kitchen Quest” has students using their
knowledge of simple machines and applying it to real life to discover simple machines all around them, which shows an application
level of thinking. In “Deconstruction” the students are labeling the simple machines within the compound machines allowing them to
demonstrate their knowledge of the content. Finally, I wanted my students to create a character version of each simple machine to
describe their purpose and recommending when to use each machine, showing an evaluation of the unit. The desserts were chosen as
more ways for students to explore the content. I only chose four sides to choose from because I did not want my 3rd graders to be
overwhelmed with choices, and I felt the sides all would take a significant amount of time and I wanted them to be able to complete
the main dish and one side, with time to possibly explore the desserts, within an hour and a half continuous period of time.
Gizmos: https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspResourceExplorer&browse=Science/Grade+35/Physical+Science/Simple+Machines
EdHead: http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/
Link to download doodle buddy application: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/doodle-buddy-for-ipad-paint/id364201083?mt=8
Link to download chatterbox application: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chatterbox-funny-talking-videos/id894760829?mt=8