Simple Machines
http://www.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html
The Franklin Institute Online web page on simple machines is great.  A clear and simple explanation is given for six simple machines: inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, wheel and axle and pulley.

Inventors Toolbox: The Elements of Machines
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html
This site from the Museum of Science in Boston covers simple machines and then has a link to Gadget Anatomy, a game where one can figure out which simple machines are used in some common devices.

BrainPOP—Lever and Inclined Plane
http://www.brainpop.com/tech/simplemachines/
Pick a movie that covers levers or on inclined planes and learn.
[Please Note: BrainPOP is a free site where viewers may watch 3 movies/day. If you go to 3 subject pages on the site, even the same page 3 times, it counts as watching three movies. The movies are available on CD-ROM for $.]

Simple Machines Made Simpler
http://www.smartown.com/sp2000/machines2000/
...short descriptions of levers, gears, incline planes, wheels and axles, and pulleys. Created by pupils of Townsville Primary School in Singapore.

Edheads--simple Machines Activities
http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/
Learn about simple and compound machines while you explore the House and Tool Shed - a great interactive site.

Inventions       [top]

The Invention Dimension!
http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/org/i/invent/
This kid site from MIT has information on inventions and inventors.

Lesson Plans:   [top]

Marvelous Machines
http://www.galaxy.net:80/~k12/machines/index.shtml
This site contains a series of experiments about simple machines: levers, wheels, and inclined planes (designed for the 3-4-grade student).

Simple Machines—AskERIC Lesson Plan
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Physical_Sciences/PHY0044.html
The “purpose of this set of activities is to expand students to the usefulness of the six basic simple machines, allowing them to see how important they really are to today's world. An added bonus to this exercise is a divergent look at one person's use of machinery through Rube Goldberg's drawings.”

Grade 3 Science: Simple Machines
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/gr3uhesc.html
Organized lesson plans for a unit on Simple Machines.

Moving along with Simple Machines
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/simp-mach/
A complete unit of study on Simple Machines, aimed at the 3-4-grade student.

Teacher Resources:     [top]

Rube Goldberg Gallery
http://www.rube-goldberg.com/html/gallery.htm
Take a look at some drawings of Rube Goldberg’s machines.

Toy and Game Design Guidelines
http://www.ayers-concepts.com/des_guid.htm
This site by Ayers Concepts gives the students some ideas about creating games

 [Return to the top]  [Return to Curriculum and Learning Home Page]