EunAe Jo /Simple Machines #2/ November 7th 2013

I Topic: Introducing Simple Machines: Lever & Wheel and Axle

II. Objective:
A. Given prior knowledge, TSWBAT relate the use of simple machines to their daily lives by
coming up with at least two other examples of simple machines.
B. Given manipulatives, TSWBAT label the force, the fulcrum and the work on the handouts 3
out of 3 questions on levers and label the force, the wheel and the axle on wheels and axles.
C. Given pictures on the Power Point slides, TSWBAT identify simple machines such as levers
and wheels and axles correctly eight out of ten pictures.
III. Standards:

PA Standards: Technology and Engineering S3.A.3.1.1: Classify systems as either human-made or

natural (e.g., human-made systems [balancing systems, tops, wheel and axle systems, pencil sharpeners
from manual to electric] )

PA Standards: Technology and Engineering 3.4.3.D2: Observe, analyze and document how simple
systems work.

III. Teaching Procedure:

(6 min.)Anticipatory Set
A. Point to the piles of books. Act as if it is too hard to carry. Push it, but it didnt move. Ask the
students if I did any work. I put all the efforts and force, but it didnt move. So, no. Ask
students what would be a good way to carry this easily? Get some suggestions. Try some of
them. Put the books inside or on a carrier with wheels. Bring them to the front of the
classroom. Tell the students that I need some help opening the can, but it is hard with my
fingers. Ask if I am doing work. I am using my force and effort, but it is not doing
anything. No, because in order for it to do work, it needs to move certain amount of distance
with the force of a push or a pull. Ask the students what I could do. Receive some
suggestions. Pull out things from the carrier. At last, take out a pencil or a screwdriver. Ask
what I could do with the screwdriver. Ask them what would be the easy way to open it. Take
some suggestions. Use pencils or screwdrivers to open them quickly. Tell them that what
they just saw with carrying the can over to the front of the classroom and opening the can is
called simple machines. Simple machines are used to help people do work easier. We see
them all the time, but we just dont realize that they are simple machines!
a. Show pictures on power point and tell the students that there are simple machines
used in the pictures. Have the students do think-pair-share.
b. Last two pictures involve levers and wheels and axles.
(15 min.) Development:
A. Put the vocabulary words that we will use on the board
a. Lever, Wheels and Axles
B. Have the students divide into two groups. Team 2&3 with Miss G. Team 1&4 with Miss Jo.
We will switch back later. During transitions, tell the students that I expect students to be
respectful to the other group by being quiet and fast. See which teams are behaving well,
while pointing out good behaviors, have the first group go with Miss G. If they are noisy,
have the students come back and do it again.
a. Lever- Have the students bring the science textbook, pencils and erasers. Teachers
also have those, so its okay if they do not have those.
b. Wheels and Axles Have the students bring a pencil.
C. Explain Lever [Miss G]
a. Have the students follow the steps.

b. Have everybody bring out a heavy book and place it flat on the table. Pass out
pencils.
c. Put one end of the pencil under the book. Try lifting the book up using one hand.
How can we do this work more easily?
d. Tell them, I am going to pass out erasers in a minute Tell the students that the
erasers will be used as the fulcrum. Fulcrum is the point on which the lever turns or
balances. Put the word on the board. Put the eraser right in front of the book. Then,
find two thirds of the pencil length and put that point on top of the eraser. Put half an
inch of the pencil under the book. One end of the pencil should be under the book,
while the other end is sticking out into the air. Pass out the eraser.
e. Have the students try and ask whether it was easier to push the book or not.
f. Push down on the end that is sticking out.
g. Ask the students whether they could lift the book or not.
h. Then, move the eraser closer to the book. What happens when you move the eraser
closer to the book? (Easier to lift)
i. While the students play with the material, draw the picture on the board.
j. Put back the book. Designate one person from the groups to collect pencils and
erasers.
k. The pencil and the eraser is called a lever. Lever is a bar that turns on a fixed point
called a fulcrum and is used to lift objects. In this case, what would pencil be? What
would eraser be? [In this case, the pencil would be the bar, the eraser the fixed point.]
You put your force onto the end that is sticking out, and it does the work at the other
end.
l. What happened when you moved the eraser closer to the book? Farther from your
force? (It was easier to lift). The farther the force is from the fulcrum, the easier it is
to work the lever.
m. In the beginning, when we tried to open the lid, we couldnt do it with our fingers.
Have the students try opening them. (They wont be able to) Use the screwdriver to
open it. Screwdriver was used as the bar. Ask the students where fulcrum was. [The
edge of the can was used as a fulcrum.]
n. Show the students pictures. Using Thumbs up and down, ask whether they think it is
a lever or not. Then, explain why each thing is lever. (They may have a hard time.)
- Ask questions for them to identify fulcrum and bar.
o. Explain to the students, when they go back to their seats, you will pass out big books.
They will pick out the picture of the levers from the pile. They will draw pictures in
the Big Book. Explain the rule, be respectful to the other team by being quiet when
going back to their seats.
p. Have the students go back to their desks of groups. On the desk, they will have
pictures of simple machines. Find the ones that use levers. Pass out the big books.
Have the students draw pictures. (Independent Practice)
q. Wait till Miss Jo calls on groups to switch teams.
D. Explain Wheel and Axle a wheel that turns around a bar to move objects.
a. Ask students what Miss Jo did when carrying the books to the front of the classroom?
She used the carrier that had wheels. What if she had tried pushing it on a side that
didnt have wheels? Have a volunteer try and tell us the difference or the teacher
could do it to save the time. [It is easier to push with wheels]
- Turning wheels reduces/makes less friction
b. Show the students a wheel and axle made of paper and a pencil. Have the students
think of a car with tires. Ask the students what they think is a wheel or wheels [the
paper cut in a circle] and what is an axle [pencil].

c.
d.
e.
f.

g.

h.

When the pencil is rotating, the circle moves more. Tell the students that
they can try.
- Because the wheel and axle are attached, the force is transmitted to the
other
- The wheel and axle must turn together!
Pass out cardboard that is cut out in a circle with a little hole in the center. Pass out
pencils.
Roll the pencil once. How far did it move? (Not pushing hard, but push so that the
pencil just moves the whole way ONCE)
Have the students put the pencils through the center of the circles.
Hold the pencil with the edge of the circle on the table. Turn the one end of the
pencil. How far this the circle move when you rolled the pencil once, the same length
as before. [The circle moved more distance]
- Explain and make sure the axles and the wheels have to move together
- Explain that the pencil is an axle and the cardboard circle is a wheel. When
you turn the pencil, it turns the circle. The circle is larger around than the
pencil. So, the circle moves farther across the table than the pencil alone.
Have the students hold on to the paper. Its now a steering wheel. Its the same
concept.
- Ask students to imagine driving only with an axle, in this case a pencil. It
would be harder to steer. It will take more force to move. If you move the
wheel, you need less force to move the whole thing.
Why is this a simple machine?
- With less work with the pencil, you are doing more work. It is making the
work easier.
- Cars, trucks, buses and airplanes move with the help of wheels and axles.
Wheels and axles help people travel longer distances. Wheels and axles
also help you travel short distances quickly with things such as bikes and
inline skates.
- Doorknobs The knob that you turn is the wheel. When you turn the knob,
you are also turning an axle that its attached to.

i. Have the students play with them for a while.

j. Have the students leave the pencil and the cardboard circle paper in front of them.
k. Show students the pictures, doing Thumbs up and down, ask students whether those
pictures are wheels and axles or not. Explain why each one is. Ask questions for the
students to identify wheels and axles.
l. Explain to the students, when they go back to their seats, you will pass out big books.
They will pick out the picture of the levers from the pile. They will draw pictures in
the Big Book. Explain the rule, be respectful to the other team by being quiet when
going back to their seats.
m. Have the students go back to their desks of groups. On the desk, they will have
pictures of simple machines. Find the ones that use levers. Pass out the big books.
Have the students draw pictures. (Independent Practice) Have the students label the
wheel and the axle.
n. Wait till Miss Jo calls on groups to switch teams.
(4 min.)Guided Practice: Guided Practice was incorporated into Development.
A. Put the pictures on their desks of groups
a. Lever scissors and a picture of a seesawetc

b. Wheel and Axle

c. Talk about which pictures/materials are levers and wheels and axles by asking
questions.
B. Explain about the transitioning rules
a. When the transitioning music is turned on, a person from each group will gather
materials into the center. Then, everybody becomes quiet.
b. Once everybody is quiet, we will transition. They will go to the desk with the
different teacher. (Miss Jo and Miss Grabbitt)
(10min.)Independent Practice: Big Book
A. Pass out big books. Have the students draw pictures
i. Label wheels, axles and fulcrums.
B. If time is running short, put the names on the booklet.
B. Write down on the board for those who finish early.
A. Have students think about where they could find those tools in their lives.
B. Read about the fun facts.
(5 min.)Closure:
A. Go over the anticipatory set. In the beginning of the class, I used some simple machines.
What did I use? Carrier Wheels and Axles. What if I had pushed this carrier on the side that
didnt have wheels? If time allows, have two students come up and try both ways and tell us
which way was easier. Opening the can with a screwdriver Levers. What is carrier a wheel
and an axle? What is a bar and a fulcrum in opening the window? Why did I use the simple
machines? To make the work easier.
B. Show pictures of some tools and have the students answer whether those tools are lever,
wheels and axles, neither or both! Ask students whether the picture is a lever [a wheel and an
axle] or not. Have them put thumbs up if they think it is a lever [a wheel and an axle], and put
thumbs down if they think it is not. Do think-pair-share for why they think it is one of those
simple machines
a. Lever screwdriver, scissors, broom, shovel, toothbrush, forks and chopsticks,
tweezers,
b. Wheels and axles Doorknob, cars, bikes, rolling pin, ferris wheel
c. Neither Knife, inclined plane
d. Both wheelbarrows, mower
C. Say that those simple machines help people do their work more easily and that we could find
those used in common around us.
D. Have the students think about where they could see those in their daily lives. Do think-pairshare.
E. Show the pictures of the tools that they will learn next week. Do not tell them the names of
the tools nor what each tool does. Make them be excited!
IV. Materials: put it in order
A. Power Point Slides
B. Heavy books, pencils, erasers
C. Big Books
D. Cardboard circle and pencils.
B. Blue and Red Cups for Independent Practice
C. Paper with Fun Facts about the lever and wheel and axle.
D. Power Point Slides with 10 pictures of simple machines that they will identify.
D. Power Point slides with pictures of the tools that students will learn next time.
V. Adaptations:

i. For struggling learners: Draw pictures and write down words on the wall. Students can turn the
cups in their groups to red and call for help.
ii. For advanced learners: Advanced learners will come up with different types of tools that could
be levers and wheels and axles and explain why they think so.
iii. For students who are distracted easily: Use proximity and have them as volunteers to hand out
materials.
iv. For students who like to talk: Do think-pair-share, have them share with their friends.
v. More time: Read fun facts
vi. Less time: Instead of drawing all the pictures, write down names.
VI. Evaluation:
1) Formative: See if the students are able to identify the simple machines throughout the lesson.
2) Summative: Look at the handouts and see if the students were able to label the simple machines.
VII.

Reflection:
A. Write an assessment of the students performance and mastery in terms of each stated
objective. List each objectives evaluation separately.
a. Given prior knowledge, TSWBAT relate the use of simple machines to their daily
lives by coming up with at least two other examples of simple machines.
i. I presented a paper model of wheels and axles to the students, and asked
where they could see these in their lives. The students were able to come up
with where they saw the wheels and axles such as cars, trucks, wagon and
unicycles. When talking about a steering wheel, a student mentioned how the
doorknob was also using a wheel and an axle.
ii. Some of the students were struggling with identifying levers, since there are
three types of levers. The students were easily able to identify the first class
levers such as a seesaw, but struggled with other classes such as a baseball
bat. The students were able to tell that the scissors that I used to open the
paint can was a lever, because I used it to pry open the can lid.
b. Given manipulatives, TSWBAT label the force, the fulcrum and the work on the
handouts 3 out of 3 questions on levers and label the force, the wheel and the axle on
wheels and axles.
i. Instead of using the handouts, my partner and I decided to use big books for
the students to draw each simple machine. Miss Grabbitt and I showed about
5 pictures of levers and wheels and axles, respectively. The students were
able to identify the simple machines, and also were able to identify what the
fulcrums, bars, wheels and axles were in each picture.
c. Given pictures on the Power Point slides, TSWBAT identify simple machines such as
levers and wheels and axles correctly eight out of ten pictures.
i. The students showed their responses by choral responses and using their
thumbs when going through the pictures on the Power Point slides. I could
not monitor every student because the time was running out. However, when
using thumbs up and down, most of the students were able to put their
thumbs up for wheels and axles and levers. The students were able to
correctly identify eight out of ten pictures on the slides.
B. Write a self-evaluation explanation for success or lack of it. Discuss: What changes might
have produced better results and could be used in subsequent lessons.
a. I was really able to catch the attention of the students in the anticipatory set. The
students were eager to find out what each simple machine could do to make the
works that I presented easier. However, I could have managed the class better by
having the books on the desks so that the students could see my material better when

they were sitting down on their seats. Next time, whenever I model and show the
example of simple machines such as a pulley, I will consider putting the materials at
a place where everybody could see. During development, I think it was good that the
students were divided into two groups. It was helpful because I could ask more
questions and hear more answers from each student. I also think that it was helpful
for the students to move around during transitions. I spent some time discussing
about the rule when transitioning with being respectful. I was able to use that rule for
the rest of the class. Having hands on materials definitely helped the students be
engaged. However, there were a couple of students who were distracted by the
materials. At that time, I did not directly correct and redirect their behaviors. At
times, it became distractions to others. As the cooperative teacher told me, I should
not be afraid to call on their behaviors directly to redirect them. Overall, managing
time was difficult. At the end, I was going over the materials so fast that I could not
monitor every student well. Next time, I will have to make sure that I have enough
time to monitor each student by assigning a role to each student, so it takes less time
in gathering and passing out materials.
C. Explain what specific changes were implemented from professor and teacher suggestions and
the results (If suggestions are not taken, explain your rationale.)
a. I changed the anticipatory set to be more engaging and to tie into the objectives of the
lesson. Instead of simply asking questions to students, I showed them the examples
of using simple machines as suggested by Mrs. Dreves. I asked them for help and for
suggestions on how to help heavy books across the room and on how to open the
paint can easily. Using a suit case with wheels and a pair of scissor as a lever, I
showed students that I was able to do work easier. Then, I explained to them what
they just saw was called simple machines. The students were very engaged at the
time, so I was able to deliver what simple machines are and why we use them. At the
end of the class, the students were able to explain why we needed simple machines in
their own words. In addition, as suggested by Mrs. Dreves, I asked many questions
throughout the lesson such as by asking them to identify wheels, axles and fulcrum. I
was surprised how much the students already knew, so it was helpful to know how I
could effectively connect their prior knowledge to my lesson. Also, this helped
students to be more engaged, since they like to think and share. As suggested by Miss
Grabbitt, I divided the class into two groups to teach each simple machine. It was
easier to manage the class with smaller groups of the students since they had
materials to work with. Also, I was able to get answers from more students since it
was a smaller group.