Let’s talk Simple Machines! What a fun topic to teach to your students! Not only is the topic super engaging, but it also connects to so many real-world examples that kids already see in their everyday lives. In this post, you’ll find ideas for teaching each type of simple machine, plus anchor chart suggestions, easy experiments, video links, and great read-aloud books to support your lessons.
Where to Start:
There are six basic simple machines to start with when teaching this unit to students. Once students fully understand these six, then they can start understanding how they make up more complex machines.
- lever
- inclined plane
- wheel and axle
- screw
- wedge
- pulley
Simple Machines Anchor Chart Ideas
Ideas for anchor charts:
- Simply leave up an anchor chart with images of the six with a label. That when students are reading about each kind, they can reference this anchor chart.
- Create a big chart with all six machines, a simple definition, and a real-life example with a picture for each. This can be your main visual throughout the unit.
- Add a chart or bulletin board titled “Machines Around Us” and let students add sticky notes or pictures of the ones they spot at home or in the classroom.
Simple Machines Children’s Books Read Aloud Suggestions
Here are a few titles I think would go great in your classroom library or incorporated into your lesson or read aloud time. Each of these links below are affiliate links to Amazon.
- Simple Machines by David Adler
- How Machines Work by David Macauley
- Simple Machines by D.J. Ward
- How Do You Lift a Lion by Robert E. Wells
- Simple Machines by Rebecca Rissman
Bill Nye Simple Machines Video
Bill Nye makes everything easier to understand. This is my favorite video to help make Simple Machines engaging for your students.
Incorporate Reading Passages into Learning
Add in reading passages into your partner activities, learning stations, and even reading groups. This will help reinforce and supplement your science lessons and experiments. Some teachers may even use these as morning work or homework!
Simple Machine Projects
You don’t need a full STEM lab to make this fun! Here are a few easy experiment ideas for your classroom:
- Lever: Use a ruler and a small block to make a mini lever. Place small objects on one end and try to lift them by pressing on the other.
- Inclined Plane: Test how cars or marbles roll down a ramp. Try changing the angle and measure how far the object travels.
- Pulley: Hang a small basket from a rope and pulley (or a string looped over a broomstick). Let students lift objects by pulling down on the rope.
FREE Simple Machines Activity
Here’s a totally FREE simple machines activity that I created. Within it, you’ll find a matching game that includes an image of each, an image of real world example, and a name card. Students will match all three! (This could also be used for an anchor chart as well!)
Suggested Worksheets and Passages Your Kids Will Love
Within this set, you’ll find 44 pages of worksheets, reading passages, and graphic organizers that will help your students fully understand!
Simple Machines Learning Activities
Thank you for reading this blog post. I hope you gathered up ideas for projects, anchor charts, mentor texts, and even a fun Bill Nye Simple Machines video idea.
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