Simple Machines Projects Are Simply Marvelous

5 years ago when I first started teaching we had the kiddo's do these great simple machine projects for our forces and motion unit. They needed to create a working simple machine of some kind. It needed to have at least one simple machine system ( wheel and axle, lever, screw, pulley, wedge,  or inclined plane) but could definitely have more than one. Then we got new textbooks the year after that and the forces and motion unit got changed.


Enter this past summer and our schools yearly teacher institute. My teaching partners and I decided to revamp our science and social studies curriculum into project based learning. And, yay!, in the forces and motion unit we included a simple machines project. My kiddo's really outdid themselves with these. Here are a few photo's of some of the projects.

J's inclined plane ball toy ( made from a ruler, a paper towel roll, and tape).

A's original pulley/wheel and axle. Then she made a bigger pulley system on her bunkbed so her sister could pass things up to her! This was one of my favorite projects.

J's tinker toy pulley system.

M's screw and pulley system. Of course it is pulling her favorite thing...horses!

J's pulley table.

L's car ramp. This was another very original one.

A shot of a bunch of the projects in the hallway ourside our room. I love this unit and can't wait to see what the kiddo's create next year!