Eighth graders explore the six simple machines — lever, pulley, inclined plane, wheel and axle, wedge, and screw — and how each provides a mechanical advantage that makes doing work easier.
Students will be able to…
A ramp lets you slide a heavy box up instead of lifting it; a crowbar lets you pry with ease. Simple machines don’t reduce the work — so how do they make it FEEL easier?
Project this and match each simple machine to what it does — tap a machine, then tap its description.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
A ramp and a crowbar make work FEEL easier — how?
Students investigate.
Students explain.
Students elaborate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (Middle School Physical Science).
Define criteria and constraints of a design problem.
Develop a model of potential energy in a system.
Explain how forces change motion.
Constructing explanations and designing solutions.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students find a compound machine (like a bicycle or a pair of scissors) and identify the simple machines that make it up. A printable simple-machines sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.