Simple Machines Science Unit | Lessons and Activities | Wheels and Levers

What if you could have your whole science unit planned in minutes? This is what you are looking for! Teach everything related to levers, wedges, screws, inclined planes, pulleys, and wheels & axles and part of a unit on simple machines or wheels and levers.

Lessons, interactive notebook templates, task cards, STEM challenges, design challenges, reading passages, word wall words, and flashcards are all included and none of them require more than a few moments to print or prep.

These resources are included in this bundle:

• Basic Lessons: teacher-directed lessons and activities to learn the basics of simple machines.
• What Machine is This? BOOM Cards 30 simple machine task cards hosted on BOOM Learning. These are unique questions to the bundle.
• Simple Task Cards 24 simple machine task cards to help students identify different simple machines. They are available in paper (both colour and ink-saving), Google Slides, and Google Forms versions. Comes with student recording pages, an answer key, and blank cards.
• Simple Machines STEM Challenges: Sixteen STEM tasks to help develop problem-solving skills while testing and working with knowledge from the unit.
• Design a Carnival Attraction: Students use STEM skills to design a carnival attraction that uses simple machines in this open-ended activity. It comes with planning sheets, student examples, and a rubric.
• Reading Passages: Ten reading passages designed to help replace the need for textbooks whether you are teaching in person or online.
• Task Cards Review: 24 cards to use for practice or assessment to cover general concepts from the unit. They are available in paper (both colour and ink-saving), Google Slides, and Google Forms versions. Comes with student recording pages, an answer key, and blank cards.
• Interactive Review Game: This game uses Google Slides so students can review concepts and check the answers.
• Simple Machines Collaborative Poster: a simple activity to introduce the six simple machines.
• Word Wall Words: Over 70 key vocabulary words for your word wall. Comes with an editable digital template.
• Flashcards: Over 70 vocabulary words on easy-to-make flashcards with an editable digital template.
• digital versions for all the student pages.
• complete step-by-step instructions for all the lessons and activities.
• photos of student examples.
• answer keys and suggested answers.
• a bonus unit plan to help you organize your unit.

Be sure to view the preview for examples or click the links to see more detailed explanations of each resource.

Dear Alberta Teacher,

As you know, the science curriculum has recently changed and all Alberta teachers will be using the new outcomes as of September 1, 2024. We are currently working on revising, writing and changing our science resources and there are many changes. Before you purchase this resource, be aware that it may not align with the new science outcomes as of September 1/24. To learn more, visit our site.

This resource aligns with:

• the Alberta Program of Studies Grade 4 Science (Wheels and Levers and Building Devices That Move)

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 more science units for you!

• Light and Shadow
• Waste in Our World
• Plant Growth and Changes

We also have a set of reading passages for language arts that connect to simple machines. Each week has a reading passage, ten different word or grammar study activities, and three extension activities. They are designed to integrate science and language arts while working on reading fluency and comprehension.

• Indigenous Tools
• Silly Machines
• Mechanical Watches
• Nature's Machines

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What our ninjas have said about this resource:

***A great resource for Simple Machines! I will be using this every year (Thanks Lauren L!)

***Awesome! Includes everything from basic to advanced ideas with hands on activities, too. (Thanks Sheryl B!)

***Fantastic, my kids loved all the activities (Thanks Krystyne M!)

Thank you for your consideration! Happy learning all about simple machines from the Brain Ninjas!