Use these simple machine STEM tasks that can be prepped in minutes. Your students will develop problem-solving skills while demonstrating their knowledge of pulleys, levers, wedges, screws, gears, rollers, inclined planes, wheels, and axles.

This resource is part of our Simple Machines Unit, but we have better resources for Alberta teachers listed below.

This hands-on resource includes:

• more than fifteen tasks that use simple machines. They challenge students to plan and work through the design process to build something that works.
• suggestions for setting up your classroom for efficiency.
• suggestions to modify for different learner needs.
• suggestions to assess learning including rubrics, checklists, and self-assessment pages.
• student task pages.
• student planning pages for working in a group or individually.
• a list of possible materials that can be used with suggestions for substitutions of everyday items.
• suggestions for solving each task (teacher background knowledge) along with photos of student examples.
• a digital version that uses Google Slides. There is loose text next to the slides that can be read by your assistive technology tools. You will need to open the resource PDF to find the digital link.

Answer keys are not included, as the whole point of these challenges is to work through problems with divergent thinking.

Students should have a basic understanding of the vocabulary of simple machines to complete the majority of these challenges. They were designed and tested with fourth graders. Thank you to our guinea pigs all over Alberta.

Suggested materials are listed in the preview.

This resource supports science concepts from these provinces and territories:

• Saskatchewan: FM5.1 Analyze the effects of...mechanical forces... Grade 4
• British Columbia and Yukon Territory: Simple Machines and their Forces Grade 5
• Northwest Territories: Pulleys and Gears Grade 4
• Manitoba: Forces and Simple Machines Grade 5
• any upper elementary or middle school science unit about simple machines

Do you teach science in Alberta? We have science units for you!

• Learn how we're adjusting resources to align with the new science curriculum in Alberta.
• Grade 3 Full Year of Lessons and Activities
• Grade 4 Full Year of Lessons and Activities
• Grade 5 Full Year of Lessons and Activities
• Grade 6 Full Year of Lessons and Activities

Do you teach science in another region? These units might be better suited to your needs:

• Waste in Our World Unit
• Light Science Unit
• Plant Growth Unit
• Simple Machines Unit
• Weather Unit
• Wetland Ecosystems Unit
• Electricity and Magnetism Unit
• Chemistry Unit
• Astronomy Unit
• Human Body Systems

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Please let us know how this resource works for you by rating it or providing feedback. You'll get TpT credits to use toward future purchases.

Our website at brainninjas.ca is full of ideas for using our resources.

What our ninjas have said about this resource:

***Exactly what I need for my Wheels and Levers unit - thank you for the simple and clear directions! (Thank you Erin!)

***LOVE that you are an Alberta resource. We used it as review centres at the end of our unit! (Thank you Penny S!)

Thank you for your consideration! Happy building simple machines from the Brain Ninjas!