Teacher GuideSummaryAre chop sticks a machine? What about an egg beater? In this project, students are challenged to identify and study simple machines in everyday life—from a seesaw to a treadmill. They investigate how these simple yet fascinating "machines" work. They study their efficiency, and effort and resistance forces. They then work in groups to combine everyday parts to invent and make their own imaginative but useful two-dimensional machine. They compose an informative essay in Microsoft Word and create a dynamic presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint to present their machine project. Finally, students create a newsletter designed to tell the story of how these simple machines work and create a Web page to display their machine projects. In the end, students discover they have gone on a delightful mystery adventure into the world of how things work. Standards ConnectionArizona State Frameworks/Content Standards/Benchmarks: Technology: 3T-E3: Publish and present information using technology tools. Language Arts: Essentials (Grades 4-8): In developing the Essential Level concepts, students should use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas, and editing, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks. | • | VP-E2: Plan, develop and produce a visual presentation, using a variety of media such as videos, films, newspapers magazines, and computer images. |
Math: Throughout all of the six standards, students will use reasoning, communication skills, and appropriate manipulatives (concrete materials) and technology within real-world problem-solving situations to make connections within mathematics and between mathematics and other disciplines. Science: 1SC-E1: Identify a question, formulate a hypothesis, control and manipulate variables. | • | 1SC-E5: Analyze the processes, parts, and subsystems of a mechanical device. | | • | 5SC-E4: Identify work involved in simple machines. |
Required SoftwareMicrosoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Microsoft Publisher 2002, Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Online Time AllottedApproximately 16 days (not including the presentation time). ObjectivesTechnologyThe student will: | • | Use the Internet for research. | | • | Use Microsoft Publisher to create a newsletter. | | • | Create a PowerPoint presentation. | | • | Create a Web page to display machine projects. | | • | Use Microsoft Word to create an informative essay. |
ScienceThe student will: | • | Identify the simple machines and their movements. | | • | Identify and calculate resistance and effort force. | | • | Create a two-dimensional machine using everyday parts. | | • | Identify simple machines in everyday objects. | | • | Define a machine's efficiency. | | • | Name and give examples of the six simple machines. | | • | Calculate a machine's mechanical advantage. | | • | Describe factors that affect a machine's efficiency. |
Language ArtsThe student will: | • | Use the six traits to create a newsletter publication. | | • | Use the six traits to create an informative essay. |
MathThe student will: | • | Calculate force. | | • | Calculate efficiency. |
Prerequisite Skills| • | The students must have prerequisite knowledge of the six traits of writing. | | • | The students must have prerequisite skills of multiplication and division. | | • | The students must have prerequisite skills of one- and two-step problems. | | • | The student should have familiarity with Microsoft Publisher, PowerPoint, Word, Internet Explorer, and Encarta. |
How to BeginIntroduce the project with the following presentation: Unit Introduction (388 KB PowerPoint presentation). PowerPoint Presentation| • | Have students view examples of PowerPoint presentations. | | • | Hand out the rubric and expectations. | | • | Have students determine what resources will be in the presentation. (See PowerPoint Planner below.) | | • | Have students develop a storyboard that includes the required elements. | | • | Create a blank outline. | | • | Enhance the presentation with a background design, graphics, music and sounds, and transitions. |
Student Newsletter| • | Have students view examples of newsletters. | | • | Hand out the rubric and expectations. | | • | Have students plan the content, including the overall goal, the title of the publication, topics and reference materials, and resources to use. (See Newsletter Planner below.) | | • | Create a newsletter storyboard. | | • | Use the Newsletter Wizard in Publisher. | | • | Enhance the newsletter using graphics and captions. |
Web Page| • | Have students view examples of Web pages. | | • | Hand out the rubric and expectations. | | • | Create a Web page to display the machine projects. (See Web Page Planner below.) |
Science| • | Brainstorm to come up with a list of possible machines. Write a paragraph describing the machine (for example, what it does, who would use it). | | • | Define simple machines. | | • | Identify the movements of the simple machines. | | • | Classify everyday objects as a simple machine. | | • | Define efficiency. | | • | Calculate efficiency. | | • | Define mechanical advantage. | | • | Calculate mechanical advantage. | | • | Work with the group on the machine project. | | • | Brainstorm, see examples, and identify needed supplies. |
Accommodations for Different LearnersResource StudentPair resource students with other students when they are working on the multimedia projects and other tasks. Or have the resource students work as a group on the projects with their aide, if applicable. Gifted Students| • | Have gifted students help you find and bookmark appropriate simple machine Web sites. | | • | Allow them to design their own publications without using the templates. | | • | Encourage them to act as technology assistants throughout the projects, as they complete their own projects. | | • | Allow gifted students to make more in-depth brochures, add more pages to their newsletter, or include more slides in their PowerPoint presentation. | | • | Pair up your gifted students with your resource room students. | | • | Challenge students to create a compound machine that incorporates all six simple machines. |
ESL StudentsA student who speaks and understands minimal English can be paired with a student who speaks the ESL student's language as well as English. AssessmentStudents will be assessed traditionally for the written assignments and activities. For the computer application projects and machine project, the teacher will use scoring guides and rubrics to assess students. In addition, the Web pages include a response form for feedback from the Internet community. HandoutsResources
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