Work Made Easy

Work Made Easy
An Internet Hotlist on Simple Machines

created by Gina Morrison
Grand Prairie ISD

Introduction | Teacher Oriented | Hands On | Informational | Student Oriented

Introduction
Here are some sites to use in your instruction of Simple Machines. As always, preview the sites before you use them with your students.

The Internet Resources

Teacher Oriented

Aspire: Simple & Complex Machines - This site has activities with lesson plans and student worksheets. It requires a plug-in which you may have to download, so it might be best to display on the television from the teacher station. Once the plug-in is downloaded it has some great online investigations you can do to demonstrate what effect the length of a wedge or inclined plane has on the amount of work you have to do. The vocabulary might be a little hard for younger elementary, but if the teacher uses this as an instructional tool that won't be a problem.
Dirtmeister's Science Reporters - This can be used as an online lesson all about simple machines. It provides descriptions of each and photos. There is also an investigations sheet for the students to print out and complete and another for them to print out to report what they find out.

Hands On

Machine Experiments - This is a listing of experiments that can be done with simple machines. Selecting an experiment takes you to a sheet that gives you all of the information necessary to complete the experiment. They are simple and straightforward detailing what materials are necessary and including tables for recording the information.

Informational

Inventor's Toolbox - More descriptions and photos of simple machines.

Student Oriented

Simple Machines Construction Site - This site would make for a good culminating activity to the unit. If you felt that you only time for one of these sites, this would be the one to use. There are crosswords, word finds, and other activities that must be completed on each machine. There is a slide show review of what they have learned and a final quiz, which is pretty detailed. The quiz can be printed out and turned in or the students can check their answers online. Students who pass the quiz can print out a certificate as well.

Content by Gina Morrison, gina.morrison@gpisd.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listsimplemgi.html
Last revised Mon Sep 14 11:14:26 US/Pacific 2009