Simple Machines - Screws

Before we could experience how screws make life easier we had to figure out the screwdriver!

Simple Machines - Wedges

A delicious way to explore how wedges make life easier (it was much easier to push the wedge-shaped carrots compared to the circle shaped carrots into the apples).

Simple Machines - Levers

Exploring the effect of different fulcrum positions on ease of pushing down on the "teeter toter".  Closer to the load is the best!

This experiment was supposed to support the idea that a longer lever will ease the amount of perceived effort required.  What I didn't factor in, however, was the lack of skill in hammering!  The conclusion: all of the kids preferred to hold the hammer close to the head.

Playing around with third class levers.

Simple Machines - Pulleys

The assignment: creating a pulley system to lift the bucket easily.  Working as a team the kids quickly took on different jobs: Levi as designer, Bekah as string engineer, Matt as general helper, and Dane as supervisor (complete with gun???!!!).

As you can see by the amount of exertion required to lift the bucket the experiment wasn't completely successful.  Levi declared the design a "fail" but the consensus was that the equipment was faulty (the pulleys kept bending and breaking).

Simple Machines

The kids enjoyed putting together samples of each type of simple machine:

the wedge, pulley, wheel & axle, lever and inclined plane.

It was fascinating to then take a journey through a medieval castle and discover how simple machines were used in daily life and wartime.

Force & Motion

We started off our unit on Simple Machines by exploring force and motion using simple toys and equipment like straws & marbles.

The kids then designed and created a three story marble run down four staircases (I had envisioned a smaller scale run when I gave them their supplies but they thought outside the box!).  Micah and Sarah happily waited in the basement to collect the marbles.