Simple Machines Teaching Resources
Bring simple machines into your science lessons this school year with activities, worksheets and experiments created by teachers for teachers like you.
Teach students what simple machines are, how to calculate the amount of force needed to move objects with one of these machines and more with resources that are aligned with the NGSS curriculum. Each resource has undergone careful review by a member of our teacher team to ensure it's ready for your lesson plan and your students.
Do you need some help planning your next lesson on simple machines? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a definition you can use to explain this science concept, plus some common examples to share with your class.
What Is a Simple Machine? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Let's start with a kid-friendly definition from our teacher team to explain just what a simple machine is:
A simple machine is a device that helps us do work by changing the amount of force or making work easier. For example, a ramp outside school is a simple machine. Because of its sloping surface, it makes it easier to roll objects along it.
6 Simple Machines & Examples to Share With Your Students
A ramp is just one of the many simple machines that our students encounter regularly in the real world, likely without even realizing it.
In fact, there are six different types of simple machines that exist all around us. Let's break down all six types and look at some common examples your students might recognize:
1. Wheel and Axle
When you combine a circular object like a wheel with an axle, you get a simple machine that allows the transfer of force from one point to another.
Examples — Bicycle wheels, car wheels and doorknobs are all examples of this type of simple machine.
2. Pulley
A pulley is another simple machine that makes use of a wheel to make our jobs easier. Instead of an axle, this type of wheel has a groove and a rope or cable running through that groove. Pulleys can be used to change the direction of force and lift heavy objects.
Example — Flagpoles and clotheslines both use pulleys to help us move objects. So do elevators!
3. Inclined Plane
An inclined plane is a flat, sloping surface that reduces the effort that's required to move objects. This type of simple machine supports some of the weight of the object, making it move more easily.
Examples — A hill is an example of an inclined plane straight from nature.
4. Screw
A screw is used to hold objects together or lift objects by rotating. It's made from an inclined plane wrapped around a cylindrical post.
Example — A screw that you find in a carpenter's tool chest is an example of this kind of simple machine.
5. Wedge
A wedge is an object with a sharp, pointed edge. This type of simple machine can be used to split, cut or lift objects apart by concentrating force over a small area.
Example — A kitchen knife is an example of a wedge that your students have likely seen before.
6. Lever
A lever is a type of simple machine that can help us lift heavy objects without using as much force as we might otherwise have to without its help. A lever is made up of a rigid bar that pivots on a fixed point called a fulcrum.
Example — A playground seesaw is a common example of a lever.
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Simple Machines Word Wall
Use this set of 28 printable vocabulary word wall cards to enhance your students vocabulary surrounding force, motion, and simple machines.
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Make a Dinosaur Long-Arm Activity
A fun activity to use in the classroom when learning about simple machines and how they work.
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Simple Machines Teaching Resource Pack
This 33 page simple machines resource pack includes educational posters, classroom decorations, word wall templates, page borders, worksheets and activities for you to mix and match with your class.
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Using Simple Machines - Worksheet
A set of worksheets to use in the classroom when learning about simple machines and how they can help use solve everyday problems.
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Drawing Simple Machines
A worksheet to use in the classroom when learning about simple machines and what they look like.
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Simple Machines - 3 Classes of Levers
An illustrated poster to use in the classroom when learning about different types of levers.
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Simple Machines Super Challenge - Inquiry Task
A fun research task to use in the classroom when investigating simple machines.
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Simple Machines Sorting Activity
A fun sorting activity to use in the classroom when learning about simple machines and how they work.
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Simple Machines Display Posters
5 illustrated posters to display in the classroom when learning about simple machines.
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Simple Machines Definition Worksheets
6 definition worksheets to use in the classroom when learning about simple machines and their uses.