Science and Technology

Visit a neighbourhood playground and identify the simple machines in the play equipment.

Conduct a mini "Invention Convention" where groups of students construct useful gadgets composed of at least 3 simple machines. Only everyday materials such as elastic bands, popsicle sticks, paper clips, thumb tacks, lego, etc. should be used.

Self and Society

Have students research the farming tools of primitive societies. Ask them to classify the simple machines in these tools, and describe the way they were used by the people to do work (for example, plough, sickle, scythe, harrow, irrigation tools).

Language

Introduce a unit on Machines or Work and familiarize the students with the terminology to be discussed.

Have the students bring in tools from home (you might want to bring in a saw!) and discuss the part of the tool that is a simple machine, for example, the wedge at the end of a screwdriver or chisel, the wedge that forms the tooth of a saw, the wedge on the edge of a knife or pair of scissors. Distribute screws and explain thread and pitch.

Have the students research the scientists Joule and Newton, and write a short description of their important discoveries.

The Arts

The Human Machine

Have a volunteer go in front of the class and start a mechanical action. (It could be the arm of a machine going back and forth.) One by one, up to ten students approach the first student, attach themselves and add another part of the machine, but each addition must be in sympathetic rhythm with the first. They might want to introduce a small sound for their addition to the complex machine. Have the spectators decide the function of this fantasy machine. Does it change with each addition? Rotate the actors and the spectators.

Math

Student problem: If one joule of work is the amount of work done when one newton is exerted through a distance of one metre, calculate how much work must be done to place 56 books, that weigh 10 newtons each, on a shelf 2 metres above the ground.

Have the students calculate their own weight in newtons. Hint: If the scales measure in kilograms, multiply by 10; if the scales measure in pounds, multiply by 4.5. If they do ten chin-ups every day for a week, lifting their bodies 20 cm, how much work in joules have they done in a week?

Go back to Simple Machines

Questions about school programs should be sent to scorbeil@technomuses.ca.