Using a Store Flyer to Identify Simple and Compound Machines

Here is a picture of a newspaper flyer that came with this past Sunday's newspaper. The same or similar flyers are usually given out at the stores.

You can use the flyer from this store (which happens to be my husband's favorite store) or from another home improvement warehouse or hardware store to help kids practice identifying and categorizing simple and compound machines.

Have the students flip through the pages and identify simple and compound machines.

Next students could cut out and sort the pictures into simple and compound machines. Then they could be resorted into the 6 simple machine categories (wheel, lever, pulley, inclined plane, screw, wedge). Some pictures can be glued and labeled in their science notebooks.

Students could create a poster or posters with the pictures and label the simple machines.

Here are some pictures that were in this week's store flyer.

The base of a light bulb is a screw.

These doorknobs are wheels and axles.

These door handles are levers.

The ladder is an inclined plane.

The screw-on cap is a screw.

The steps are an inclined plane.

The drill and drill bits are screws.

The drills are screws and the saw is a wedge.

Lots of wheels and axles here on these compound machines plus levers, inclined planes, screws, and wedges.

More wheels and axles plus levers, inclined planes, screws, and wedges.

Still more wheels!

So .... the cost for this activity is basicly FREE if you have paper, pencils, scissors, and glue on hand. Plus, I like the fact that we're recycling! 

Inside back cover of the flyer ...... Yes, it's great to RECYCLE!

Have fun!

Exploratory Play with Simple Machines

Here is a very, very cool website that has an Interactive Game for Kids that uses Simple Machines!

This site is from the Lemelson Center (for the Study of Invention and Innovation) / Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History.

The site is for Grades K-8. (I think adults will like it too. I do!)
 

Students will have LOTS of FUN exploring and tinkering and learning how simple machines can be made from everyday objects.

Have Fun!!!!

Click Here: Tinker Ball
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Thanks for visiting! :)

Complex/Compound Machines

A COMPLEX/COMPOUND MACHINE is made from 2 or more *simple machines.

(*Simple Machines: wheel, lever, pulley, inclined plane, screw, wedge) 
(*See previous 15 posts on simple machines.)

Examples: 

A scissors is made up of 2 levers and 2 wedges.

A drill is made up of a wheel, a screw, and a wedge.

    

                                                                             

Activities

• Have the students visit Edheads, a wonderful interactive website.

          Click Here: Edheads Compound Machines

• Have students brainstorm and list other compound machines in their science notebooks plus make a class chart of complex machines.

• Read books about compound machines.

 

• Have students walk around the home/school/neighborhood to identify and observe compound machines. Have them bring a notebook or camera.

• Have students look in magazines, catalogs, or online for pictures of complex machines.  Then create a poster or slide show of complex/compound machines.

Sears Catalog

Home Depot Catalog

• Have students sketch and label complex machines and then label the simple machines that make up each complex machine. 

Scissors diagram

• Take a field trip to a hardware store, tool department of a department store, or home improvement warehouse to observe complex machines. Take a notebook or camera then make an album or slide show to share with others. 

• Have students invent their own compound machine. (This could be an imaginary machine with a sketch/illustration or a real working compound machine.)

Have fun learning about complex machines!

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Simple Machines Activities and Resources for Kids

Here are some Fun Simple Machines Online Activities for the Kids!!!!

Here's a Simple Machines GAME for kids from Brain Pop Jr.
Click Here: Simple Machines Games

Here's a Simple Machines Concentration Game.
Click Here: Simple Machines Concentration Game

Here's a Simple Machines Hangman Game
Click Here: Simple Machines Hangman

Here's a Simple Machines Word Scramble Game
Click Here: Simple Machines Word Scramble

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Resources

Here's Simple Machines Lesson Ideas for Parents and Teachers from Brain Pop Jr.

Click Here: Simple Machines Lesson Ideas

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Have fun!

Simple Machines Interactive Website for Kids

Edheads

Edheads is a great website for kids and has a wonderful unit on Simple Machines. The kids will really like it because it is narrated by a robot and is wonderfully interactive.

The robot invites the kids to visit The House and The Tool Shed. They will have lots of fun while learning about simple machines. The site is recommended for students in Grades 2 - 6 but can be used by younger and older kids.


Click Here for Lots of Fun: Edheads Simple Machines


 You might also like the Simple Machines Glossary and Teacher's Guide




Have fun!

Simple Machines - The Wedge

A WEDGE is a simple machine that is 2 inclined planes joined together to form a sharp edge.

A wedge is used to split or cut things apart.

Examples: saw, nail, ax, knife, fork, spoon, even teeth can act like a wedge

Activities

• Read Books about Wedges

• Have students brainstorm and list objects that are a wedge. (saw, fork, nail, chisel, doorstop)
• Have students sketch/draw and label pictures of objects that are wedges.
• Have students look around the school/home for other examples of wedges.
• Have students look in magazines, catalogs, or online for pictures of objects that are wedges.

Home Depot Catalog

Sears Catalog

• View a video about wedges 

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/617/deploy/interface.html

• Visit websites about wedges

http://weirdrichard.com/wedge.htm

• Have students create a poster or slide show about wedges.

More Wedge Pictures

The Bow of a Boat

Have fun!

Simple Machines - The Screw

The SCREW is a simple machine that is a winding inclined plane.

A screw holds things together, moves things, or crushes things.

Examples: bottom of light bulb, spiral staircase, standard screw, Phillips screw, bottle cap, toothpaste cap


Activities

Activity 1

• Pass out different size screws to students. 
• Have students observe the screws and note the threads.
• Have students count the number of spirals on each screw.
• Have students compare the spiraling screw to a spiraling staircase and a winding mountain road.

Activity 2

Materials

• paper
• pencil
• ruler
• scissors
• clear tape
• crayon/marker

    

Directions

• Have students create a curved inclined plane and compare it to a screw.
• Give each student a right triangle made with a piece of paper. Older students can draw their own right triangle. 
• Have students observe that the longest side of the triangle is slanted/tilted like an inclined plane.
• Have students color the longest side (the "hypotenuse"... for older kids!).
• Optional: Tape the shortest side of the triangle to the pencil.
• With the shortest side of the triangle against the pencil, wrap the triangle around the pencil.
• Tape the end of the triangle with clear tape.
• Have children observe that the triangle wraps in a spiral. The longest side of the triangle (hypotenuse) represents the inclined plane (threads of the screw). A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.

Activity 3

• Have students brainstorm and list other objects that are a screw. (light bulb, bottle cap, etc.)
• Have students sketch/draw pictures of objects that are screws.
• Have students look around the school/home for other examples of screws.
• Have students look in magazines, catalogs, or online for pictures of objects that are screws.
• Have students create a poster or slide show about screws.

Activity 4

• Read books about screws.

Activity 5

• Watch a Video about Screws

 http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=6886 

Have fun!