Simple Machines for the Elementary Level

The following sites are suitable for Elementary Level Students.

Edheads helps students learn through educational games and activities designed to meet state and national standards. By partnering with various school systems and educational organizations, Edheads assures a quality experience for teachers and students alike!

Learning about science can be hard work, but simple machines can make it easier. Let Bill Nye push and pull you around levers, ramps, screws, and pulleys. Bill Nye is the writer, producer and star of Disney’s Bill Nye the Science Guy. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Home Demo experiments.

Student Fact sheets from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on simple machines bring together everything you need to know about the basics! Print them out for yourself or your class and quickly become an expert at elementary physics! For even more NASA fun, check out the Kids Main Page at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/home/index.html

This site from the Inventor’s Workshop highlights simple machines and a few of their more complex neighbors. Be sure to check out the Gadget Anatomy link to see these Simple Machines put to use! This site is sponsored by The Science Network and the Boston Museum of Science.

This great site from the Canada Science and Technology Museum uses a question and answer format to easily lead students to the information they seek. In addition, links are provided for teachers for lesson plans and other activities.

ZOOM, PBS’s by-kids-for-kids science show, offers up this not-so-simple machine. Can you find all six simple machines in this Rube Goldberg contraption? Challenge a friend or challenge yourself, then follow the link to make your very own Rube Goldberg device!

COSI of Columbus, Ohio, offers a simple yet detailed Flash tutorial to Simple Machines as well as many other scientific diversions. COSI stands for Center of Science and Industry. Teachers and students alike will find hours of online activities and practical applications for theoretical knowledge!

This site, put together by graduate student Todd Krantz, offers standards-based third grade science definitions and a quick online quiz to test your knowledge of Simple Machines.

This site provides both teacher and student resources for teaching about Simple Machines, as well as providing links describing each of the machines in detail. Some of those links do lead to paid advertising sites. This site was created and is maintained by Carolyn I. Gundrum, a licensed media specialist.

The Simple Machines Construction site provides many resources for teachers and students alike and was created to meet third grade Virginia science standards. Lesson plans are included in the Teachers section, as well as an interactive area for students to learn not only what Simple Machines are but how to use them!

This great site from the University of Utah combines a playful attitude with exacting information and excellent teacher/student resources. Organized around Utah’s science standards, this site is certain to help you and your students have fun and learn at the same time!

Wikipedia is a free, online reference library created by millions of users who add, subtract, correct, and re-correct all of the articles. While you can find pages and pages of useful information here, care should be taken as not all of the information provided has been proven to be accurate. Surf with care! With links describing in detail all six Simple Machines, this valuable resource should not be overlooked!

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