The students in Miss Hokanson's class at PS 249 have written and created everything on this website to teach other children about simple machines.
Simple machines make work easier. You can do work faster. A simple machine can help you move heavy things. Simple machines have no mechanical parts.
Wheel and Axle
Wheels and axles could help you travel wherever you want to go. They have wheels connected by a bar. The bar is the axle and is in the middle of the wheels. Examples of things with wheels and axles are cars, trucks, trains, bikes, motorcyles, rollerskates, wagons, vans, and wheelbarrows.
Lever
A lever is a bar that goes up and down on a fulcrum. A lightswitch goes up and down to turn on and off the lights. You could move a heavy box by pushing on the other end of a lever. Another examples is a seesaw.
Wedge
Wedges can cut through things because they have a point. You can use them to cut trees or fruits and vegetables. Some examples are a knife, ax, saw, and a tack.
Inclined Plane
An inclined plane can help you move a car up and down. They can look like a 3-D triangle. Examples are ramps, stairs, waterslides, ladders, and bridges.
Pulley
A pulley brings things up and down. If a person wants something and it is all the way down below they can pull the rope to bring it up. Pull on the rope and the rope goes over something with a groove. Examples are shoelaces, wrecking balls, shades, and clothes-lines.
Screws
A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a bar. If you twist it, it will go up and down. The top of a bottle is one example of a screw.
Can you name the simple machines in these pictures?
We created LEGO inventions using simple machines. Here is a video of one of our inventions: