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Amazing Machine Exhibit,

Franklin Institute,
Philadelphia, PA

Museum Exhibit

A permanent exhibit at the Franklin Institute

on machines. It covers what it defines as the
"universal components" of machines: gears,
springs, cams, pulleys, linkages, and screws.
For each component the exhibit offers an
interactive demonstration that allows young
visitors to learn through hands-on exploration.
There are also displays of the inner workings
of more complex machines. One of the
highlights is the automaton that inspired the
popular book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

The exhibit never actually refers to

simple machines, although there is
quite a bit of overlap with the topic. As a
result, it would be an interesting
supplement to a simple machines unit,
but probably would not work as a
foundational activity.

Baretta, G. (2012).
Timeless: Thomas: How
Thomas Edison Changed
Our Lives. New York:
Henry Holt and Company.

Picture Book: Biography

Places historical information about Edison's

inventions side by side with examples of how
they are still used today. Alludes to the
iterative design process in its account of
Edison's development of his light bulb, which
took many tries. The illustrations are bold,
bright, and comic-book-like.

Gives more of an overview of Edison's

life and work rather than an insight to
his thinking, making connections to
problem solving more difficult.

Beaty, A. (2013). Rosie

Revere, Engineer (D.
Roberts, Illus.). New York:
Abrams Books for Young
Readers.

Picture Book: Fiction

Tells the story of a little girl who likes making

machines out of junk, but almost gives up her
hobby because of teasing. The desire to help
an elderly relative fly, however, pushes her to
persevere. This is a good story about not
giving up, specifically in an engineering
context, and featuring a rare female character
who enjoys building things. The beautiful,
distinctive, vaguely retro illustrations set this
book apart.

The book is light on actual science or

engineering content and the narrative is
predictable, but a teacher could make
connections to the design process.

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Bill Nye the Science Guy.

(2014, September 16). Bill
Nye the Science Guy
Episode 10 Simple
Machines. [Video file].
Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/sOnVFR1m
sPk.

Youtube video of
popular 1990s children's
educational television
show

Teaches kids about the six simple machines

and their applications through a number of
modes: demonstrations (by Bill Nye himself
and two kid hosts), real-world examples, a
faux-sportscast, an interview with an engineer
of prosthetic limbs, and a simple machines
song. Achieves a great combination of clear
explanation and a fast pace that keeps things
interesting.

This show is a little dated, but its style

is unique and could still be interesting
to kids today.

Chessin, D. (2007).
Simple machine science
centers. Science and
Children, 37-41.

Article from Periodical

Outlines the use of inquiry-based centers to

teach students simple machines, especially
for teachers who are not confident in their
grasp of physics concepts. Provides a detailed
overview of student work at two centers, one
involving levers and the other inclined planes;
these accounts are comprehensive enough for
teachers to replicate these activities in their
own classrooms. This enactment takes place
in a third-grade classroom.

This article only provides two different

examples of simple machine centers. In
addition, these activities are designed
for third graders and would need to be
adapted for younger students.

Dotger, S. (2008). Using

Article from Periodical
simple machines to
leverage learning. Science
and Children, 22-27.

Describes several lessons on levers

completed with third-graders. Gives a detailed
description of the physics of levers and the
lessons used to teach it, including a "lift the
teacher" activity.

The students are older elementary

school students, so some of what they
do is too sophisticated for my
kindergartners (e.g. the use of
electronic force meters to measure
force in Newtons).

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Fowler, A. (2001). Simple

Machines. Rookie Read
About Science. New York:
Children's Press.

Picture Book:
Informational Text with
Photographic
Illustrations

A very basic introduction to simple machines

for young children. It defines simple machines,
gives a basic definition of four of them (levers,
inclined planes, wheels and axles, and
pulleys) and provides a number of real-world
examples.

The text is very simple, making it a

great introduction for early readers
(they might even be able to read it
independently). It is too basic, however,
for older elementary students.

Hodge, D. (1996). Simple

Machines. Toronto, ON:
Kids Can Press.

Children's Book of
Experiments (with
photographs)

A collection of thirteen experiments with

simple machines for kids. Most of the activities
require just a few readily-available materials
and result in a product (for instance, a toy car
or boat) that kids can keep. They also do a
good job of demonstrating how simple
machines work. The photographic illustrations
are big, colorful, and clear.

The experiments are loosely organized

(headings or chapters for each simple
machine would have been useful), and
the informational explaining each
simple machine is slight. A few of the
activities would be a little abstract or
hard to understand for younger
students.

One of five animated shorts that seem to be

from the same series. Notwithstanding the
poster's screen name, the films are both funny
and educational, clearly explaining the physics
behind simple machines.

The films are a little dated, although

despite (or perhaps because of) this,
they are entertaining. Their main
limitation is that they are a bit technical
for younger elementary students, going
into formulas for calculating force and
other more advanced topics.

TheCreepyGuy69. (2012, Youtube video of

April 27). Wheels and
animated educational
Axles. [Video file].
short film
Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/P7xu9O0mi
Ec
http://youtu.be/P7xu9O0mi
Ec.

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McCully, E.A. (2006).

Picture Book: Biography
Marvelous Maggie: How
Margaret E. Knight
Became an Inventor. New
York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

A picture-book biography of Margaret E.

Knight, an inventor who worked in the late
19th and early 20th centuries and who
famously invented a way of producing today's
paper bag. It gives a detailed account of her
life, one of the few female engineers of her
time, in an engaging narrative, accompanied
by beautiful watercolor and pen illustrations.
The story of her life also gives a good account
of engineering's iterative design process.

The book is long and would be

overwhelming for younger elementaryschool students without scaffolding.
McCully's writing style resembles
fiction, which is engaging, but it is hard
to know what is imagined and what is
truly historical fact.

McLaughlin, C.A.,
McLaughlin, F.C., &
Pringle, R.M. (2013).
Simply performance
assessment. Science and
Children, 50-55.

Article from Periodical

Gives an overview of one fourth-grade

teacher's short unit on simple machines and
how she integrated performance assessments
into the unit. Students created projects using
everyday materials, such as toothpicks, milk
cartons, and toilet paper rolls. Describes a
number of examples of student work, and
provides the teacher's rubrics for assessment.

Addresses simple machines

performance assessments for older
elementary students; does not discuss
modifications for younger students.

Miller, R., & Sikkens, C.

(2014). Engineers Solve
Problems. St. Catharines,
ON: Crabtree Publishing
Company.

Picture Book:
Informational Text with
Photographic
Illustrations

One in a series of books for kids about

engineering. Through clear, accessible text
and colorful photographic illustrations, it
explains what engineers do, how they help
create new technologies, and how they solve
problems through the engineering design
process. Gives a number of examples of kid
inventors and suggestions for problems that
kids themselves can solve.

This book is very accessible, but it

could be more substantive; it could
benefit, for instance, from a few specific
examples of how actual engineers have
identified and tackled problems.

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Spires, A. (2014). The

Most Magnificent Thing.
Toronto, ON: Kids Can
Press.

Picture Book: Fiction

The story of a young girl who lives in the city

with her dog companion and who likes to
make things out of old junk. It gives an
account of her many unsuccessful attempts to
bring a particular idea to fruition. The story
touches on ideas of dealing with frustration,
perseverance, problem solving, and the
iterative design process. Significantly, it shows
a female character acting as an engineer.

This resource does not get into any

specific science or mechanical
engineering principles; its usefulness
has more to do with the general themes
of problem solving and perseverance.

Walker, S.M., & Feldmann,

R. (2012). Put Levers to
the Test.
" ...Wedges..."
"...Inclined Planes..."
"...Pulleys..."
"...Screws..."
"...Wheels and Axles..."
How Do Simple Machines
Work? Minneapolis, MN:
Lerner Publications
Company.

Picture Book:
Informational Text with
Photographic
Illustrations

Each book in this series gives an overview of

one simple machine, explaining how they
work and how people use them in the wider
world. The texts are interspersed with brief
experiments that readers can do to explore
key principles. Each book also provides a
basic overview of the idea of work as a
physics concept, an explanation of complex
and simple machines

This text is also very basic and does

not go into the physics of simple
machines in a lot of detail, but its
explanations are accessible and clear.

Yasuda, A. (2011).
Explore Simple Machines!
(B. Stone, Illus.). White
River Junction, VT: Nomad
Press.

Children's Book:
Informational
Text/Collection of
Experiments

Combines explanation of how simple

machines work and related experiments of
varying complexity, accompanied by comic
book-like black-and-white illustrations. The
text is substantive, accessible, and even
humorous. Yasuda also goes into some of the
history behind simple machines. There is a
glossary and a list of online resources in the

Some of the experiments do not turn

out as expected in their execution and
are not always the best demonstrations
of certain concepts, but there are a lot
to choose from, and many could be
adapted for a variety of ages.

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