Planning a unit on simple machines? Save some time and energy with this collection of lessons and activities that explores how these devices are used in the real world to make life a little easier. 

An excellent activity awaits your young scientists! In it, learners are invited to explore the world of pulleys, levers, and planes; simple machines that make lifting heavy things much, much easier. They watch video, and engage in...

Teach young engineers that all machines, no matter how complicated or complex, are made up of just six simple devices with this hands-on physical science lesson. Using the included templates, students first create paper models of...

Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics...

Seventeen pages of material leave you well-prepared to carry out this lesson on levers and pulleys. Photos and diagrams make the instructions clear; resource links provide additional information. The missing aspects of this teacher's...

Students interpret drawings and reproduce them in a CAD format.  In this design lesson students complete an assembly drawing of a pulley system.

Students explore simple machines.  In this simple machines science lesson, students work with a partner to identify what kind of simple machine is represented by a variety of household objects placed in paper bags.  Students...

In this museum student guide worksheet, students make a mini-book about simple machines to be used during a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry. They locate the exhibits that demonstrate the wedge, inclined plane, screw, lever,...

Students investigate the scientific concept of mechanical advantage. They construct their own system with the use of a simple broomstick. Then the demonstration is done to show how the mechanical advantage is used to move a load.

Learners analyze an engineering problem. They contrast paper and pencil mastery of concepts with hands-on mastery. They present their design and rationale behind it, whether it works or not.

In this physics worksheet, students use the clues given on the sheet to complete the crossword puzzle on simple machines. There are 18 clues to solve in the puzzle.

Students examine the mechanical advantage of pulleys.  In this pulleys instructional activity students are given a challenge to help save a whale by setting up different pulleys systems to move it. 

In this simple machines scientific investigation worksheet, students follow the provided procedures to examine how pulleys work and then respond to 2 short answer questions.

In this machines worksheet, students draw a "Rube Goldberg" style machine which uses 3 different types of simple machines to complete one task.

Students discover what simple machines are and identify a gear, a pulley, and a lever. In teams, they build at least two models each of simple machines and challenge them with specific instruction cards. Finally, students present and...

In this simple machines worksheet, students will come up with five problems that we use simple machines for to help us solve that particular problem.

Sixth graders identify how to use pulleys to change the direction of force. Students develop ways to evaluate designs, noting that no one best design exists and that different tasks require different designs. Students designs will vary.

This site is an interactive applet using the principles of a pulley system. The number of pulleys can be varied as well as the load lifted