The first 5 learning
centers are for the simple machines: lever, screw, inclined plane, wedge, and
pulley.
A second set of learning centers for the wheel and
axle is available on this site. Material and Grouping cards are located at the
end. |
Investigating the Inclined Plane
SET UP
~
Tie the rope around the handle of the bag of books. ~
Set the board on the floor so that it is resting against the seat of the
chair. ~
Tell everybody to write, “The Inclined Plane” at the top of his or her page. ACTIVITY
* Hold the end of the rope and lift the bag
of books up as high as the seat of the chair. * Let all of the teammates have a turn. * Put the bag of books on the floor at the
bottom of the board. Now, put the string over the board, up
to the seat of the chair. * Take the rope that is hanging over the
chair and pull it so the books go up the ramp. * Let all of the teammates have a turn. QUESTIONS
1.
How did it feel when you lifted the bag of books the first time (without
using the board)? Was it easy or difficult? Did the books feel heavy or
light? 2.
How did it feel when you used the board to raise the books up to the
seat of the chair? Was it easy or difficult? Did the books feel heavy or
light this time? 3.
Which method of lifting was easier? Why do you think so? Discuss with
your teammates and record your answer. 4.
Draw a picture of your experiment in the box at the top of your page. |
Investigating the Pulley
SET UP
~
Tie the rope around the handle of the bag of books ~
Tell everybody to write, “The Pulley” at the top of his or her page. ACTIVITY
* Hold the end of the rope and lift the
books up as high as the chalk ledge. * Let all of the teammates have a turn. * Put the long end of the rope through the
pulley. * Now, pull the rope to raise the books to
the height of the chalk ledge. *
Let all of the teammates have a turn. QUESTIONS
1.
How did it feel when you lifted the bag of books the first time
(without using the pulley)? Was it easy or difficult? Did the books feel
light or heavy? 2.
How did it feel when you used the pulley to raise the books? Was it
easy or difficult? Did the books feel light or heavy? 3.
Which method of lifting was easier? Why do you think so? Discuss with
your teammates and record your answers. 4.
Draw a picture of your experiment in the box at the top of your page. |
Investigating the Screw
SET UP
~
Tell everybody to write, “The Screw” at the top of his or her page. ~ carefully take out and give 3 different
screws to everyone ~ carefully give out the screwdrivers to
each student ACTIVITY/QUESTIONS
*
draw 3 boxes in the box at the top of your page like this: number
of threads:
number of threads: number of threads: * count the number of threads (rings)
on each of the three screws, write it down, and draw them in the boxes.
QUESTIONS
1.
Which one of the three screws do you think will be the easiest to screw into
the wood block? Why do you think this? 2.
Take
the screw with the least number of grooves, and screw it into the wood. Take
the screw with the second least number of grooves, and screw it into the
wood. Take
the screw with the most groves and screw it into the wood. 3.
Which screw was the easiest to screw into the wood? Why do you think so? |
|
Investigating the Wedge SET UP
~
Tell everybody to write, “The Wedge” at the top of his or her page. ~
put the apples, circle-shaped carrots, and triangle shaped carrots into
different groups QUESTIONS/ACTIVITIES
1.
Look at the circle- and triangle-shaped carrot pieces. Predict which
one will be easier to push into the apple. Why do you think this is so? 2.
Take a circle-shaped carrot piece and try to push it into the apple.
Was it easy or difficult to do? 3.
Take the triangle-shaped carrot piece and try to push the pointy end
into the apple. Was it easy or difficult to do? 4.
Was it easier to put the circle-shaped carrot piece, or the
triangle-shaped carrot piece into the apple? Why do you think that this was
so? Discuss with your teammates and record your answers here. 5.
Draw a picture of the circle-shaped and triangle-shaped carrot pieces
in the box at the top of your page. Label which one is the wedge. |
Investigating the Lever
SET UP
~
Tell everybody to write, “The lever” at the top of his or her page. ~
Draw down the middle of the box at the top of your page. ~
Give everybody a ruler, and a toilet paper role cut in half ~
Put the weights in a pile ACTIVITY
* Put the ruler on the paper roll, and make
it balance. * Draw this in the box at the top of your
page. Label the point where the ruler touches the paper role, “the
fulcrum” (the balancing point). * Tape 2 equal weights on each side of the
ruler. Try to balance the ruler again. What happened? * Remove one weight from one side of the
ruler. Try to balance the ruler. What happened? * Draw this in the box at the top of your
page. Label the point where the ruler touches the paper role, “the
fulcrum” (the balancing point). * Put different weights on the ends of ruler
and try to balance it. QUESTIONS
1.
Where was the fulcrum (the balancing point) the first time you
balanced the ruler? Where was the fulcrum when you added equal weights to
both ends? Was it in the same or a different place? Why do you think this is
so? 2.
When you took the weights off of one end of the ruler, what happened
to the fulcrum? Why do you think this is so? |
THE INCLINED
PLANE
Materials
-a
chair -some
books -a
plastic grocery bag -some
rope -a
flat board -science
journals |
THE PULLEY
Materials
-
a small chair -
some books -
some rope -
a plastic grocery bag -
a pulley attached to the chalk ledge -
science journals |
THE SCREW
Materials
-
a piece of thick wood -
some screws -
screwdrivers -
science journals |
THE WEDGE
Materials
-
some apples -
some carrots cut into circle- and triangle-shaped pieces -
science journals |
THE LEVER
Materials
-
rulers -
small weights -
scotch tape -
paper towel rolls cut in half -
science journals |
|
GROUP
A: LEARNING
CENTER #: 1 2
3 4 5
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GROUP
B: LEARNING
CENTER #: 1 2
3 4 5
|
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GROUP
C: LEARNING
CENTER #: 1 2
3 4 5
|
|
GROUP
D: LEARNING
CENTER #: 1 2
3 4 5
|
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GROUP
E: LEARNING
CENTER #: 1 2
3 4 5
|