Overview

SIMPLE MACHINES

Tuesdays, January 24-May 2 (no class Feb 21, Mar 14, Apr 4; 12 weeks)

12:30pm-1:45pm

Ages 6-8

Students explore how we can use simple machines to manipulate forces like tension, friction, and gravity in order to make work easier. We engineer models of the six simple machines and examine how they are incorporated into our daily lives. All lab costs are included in registration fee.

Instructor: Q Collins, BSc

Location: Discover Science Center (suite 5)

Course fee: $220 OR $20/lab

10% sibling discount

Register for full semester or individual labs.


WEEK 1: Forces - Tuesday, January 24

Students learn how forces affect the way we move, lift, push, pull, or drop objects we interact with, and how machines can reduce the effort we must use.

WEEK 2: Inclined Plane - Tuesday, January 31

Students learn about how ramps make work easier and how different devices use this incline to get work done.

WEEK 3: Pulley - Tuesday, February 7

This week, students learn how pulleys make it easier to lift and lower people and heavy objects.

WEEK 4: Wheel and Axle - Tuesday, February 14

In this class, we focus on the simple machine that has helped all kinds of transportation move further and faster.

WEEK 5: Wedge - Tuesday, February 28

Students look at the wedge, and how these devices can be used to separate two objects or hold an object in place.

WEEK 6: Screw - Tuesday, March 7

Today we discuss a not-so-obvious simple machine as we learn how screws tighten and release.

WEEK 7: Lever - Tuesday, March 21

Students study how a rigid lever can rotate about a point in order to exert an effort, and how moving that point can change the lever’s effect.

WEEK 8: Car Tracks - Tuesday, March 28

This week, we take a look at how cars move and how tires affect the friction on tracks we design.

WEEK 9: Elevator - Tuesday, April 11

In this class, we examine how elevators are able to lift passengers between floors as we build a model lift.

WEEK 10: Catapult - Tuesday, April 18

Today we discuss how levers can be used to launch projectiles as we design and assemble catapults.

WEEK 11: Marble Run - Tuesday, April 25

Students learn and investigate the characteristics of a screw as they build a marble run based on a twisted ramp shape.

WEEK 12: Rube Goldberg - Tuesday, May 2

In our final class, we will find ways to use all six of our simple machines to create complex contraptions to do simple tasks.


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About Discover Science Center
Discover Science Center is an informal science education enrichment lab whose purpose is to supplement the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and…
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