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Your students are surrounded by machines which make their lives
easier, many of which they do not even recognize as machines.
If you ask students to come up with a list of machines, they will
probably begin with electric drills, tractors, radios, dishwashers,
air conditioners, and other machines with motors. Simple machines,
the models for the principles on which many of the more complex
machines are based, are ones that most students do not recognize.
This module will focus on how simple machines extend our ability to
lift heavy things.
Students begin by thinking about what it means to make work easier.
They then try out a series of experiences and "challenges" with three
different simple machines: levers, inclined planes, and pulleys.
Each of the challenges is designed to help students see the advantages
and the tradeoffs of these three simple machines. In each of the
learning experiences, students are asked to work together to construct
an experiment, keep careful records, draw pictures, and analyze
results.
At the end of the module, students are encouraged to design a
construction site that has only human power and reflect on which
simple machine they would use for which task and why.
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