Student: Brittney Eichorst

Grade Level: 4th grade

Lesson Title: Compound Machines in Everyday Life

Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Science
2007 ACEI Standards

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)

A. Goal(s)
Students will be able to identify compound machines in their everyday lives
Students will be able to recognize what simple machines work together to create
everyday objects
Students will be able to describe how compound machines work

B. Objective(s)
After completing the lesson, students will be able to identify the simple machines that
make-up a given compound machine.

C. Standard(s): Professional Society/State/District

4.PS.3 Investigate how multiple simple machines work together to perform everyday
tasks.

II. Materials & Management

Materials
o 12 notecards
Pulley uses grooved wheels and a rope to raise, lower, or move a load
Lever a stiff bar that rests on a support called a fulcrum which lifts or
moves loads
Wedge an object with at least one slanting side ending in a sharp edge
Wheel and axle a wheel with a rod, called an axle, through its center
lifts or moves loads
Inclined plane a slanting surface connecting a lower level to a higher
level
Screw an inclined plane wrapped around a pole which holds things
together or lifts materials
Six cards should have one type of simple machine written on it
Six cards should have the definition of each type of simple machine
written on it
o The Amazing Adventures of Scorpy Bug: Compound Machines Comic
http://www.amazementsquare.org/scorpy/comics/year2/2006-12-
18_compmac.html
 o Compound Machines List
o Compound Machines Worksheet
Time- 60 minutes
Space
o Students will be sitting at their desks
Behavior
o Give expectations for listening, completion, and volume level. I will also give
candy to students who listen and participate during the anticipatory set and
throughout the lessons.
Technology
o Screen to project comic for students to view

III. Anticipatory Set (7 minutes)

Pass out a sticky note to each student in the class
Say, Today, I am going to tell you guys a story about me and a bike. During my story, I want
you to close your eyes and listen very closely. Picture yourself as the person in the story, and
try to think about how you would feel in the situation. In the end, I am going to have you write
on the sticky note your feelings. Now, close your eyes and listen closely!
Give a story, similar to this one, Imagine that you are riding your bike on a bright, sunny day.
Fields of green grass are on your right and on your left. Feel the cool wind blowing through
your hair as you pedal. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right Hear the chain jingle as it turns.
Look up at the lines on the road passing by, then look down at your feet pedaling Suddenly,
your pedals are gone, and your feet hang free in the air. Then, your handlebars are gone too.
And even worse, your tires disappear. STOP. Open your eyes and now quickly write down how
you felt when all the different parts on your bicycle started to disappear. Then, I want you to
come stick your note up on the board. You have 3 minutes!
After all students have put their sticky note up on the board, read some of them off and allow
students to share why they wrote what they did

IV. Purpose:
Today we are going to learn about how simple machines create compound machines
that we use in our daily lives.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

(ACEI 1.0)

V. Adaptation to Diverse Students

A. Remediation I will be sure to help students during the independent practice who need
extra help.
B. Enrichment Students who are able to complete the worksheet quickly will be given extra
points for giving extra descriptions, as well as identifying more than the required amount of
compound machines and what simple machines make them up
C. ELL n/a
D. Exceptional Needs- Students will exceptional needs, when appropriate, will be given a
hardcopy of the comic to review and write on during the input section to allow him/her to
process the information easier; the same students will also be given a worksheet with the
 simple machines and their definitions listed on it when given the compound machine
worksheet to use as options of the simple machines column on the worksheet
(ACEI 3.2)
VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output) (ACEI 2.4) (ACEI 3.3)
INPUT: (13 minutes)
Ask, Who can tell me what the theme to our unit is that we have been focusing on this week?
Wait for a student response, HOME
Say, Correct! And today, we are going to learn about another difference from home to home
what we use in the home! We are going to learn about compound machines we use in the home
during this science lesson.
Say, First we are going to review what you already know about simple machines and which is
which. I am going to put one of the six simple machines on the board, and then I am going to
have someone who thinks they know the definition raise their hand and come up to the board,
grab the notecard with the definition of the machine, and place it under the definition. If the
student gets it correct, you all get a point! If they get it wrong, I get the point! I want you all to
try your hardest to beat me!
Place a type of simple machine on the board, and allow students to match the definition to the
simple machine to help them review what they have previously learned before learning about
simple machines
o Pulley uses grooved wheels and a rope to raise, lower, or move a load
o Lever a stiff bar that rests on a support called a fulcrum which lifts or moves loads
o Wedge an object with at least one slanting side ending in a sharp edge
o Wheel and axle a wheel with a rod, called an axle, through its center lifts or moves
loads
o Inclined plane a slanting surface connecting a lower level to a higher level
o Screw an inclined plane wrapped around a pole which holds things together or lifts
materials
After the game, has finished, say, Great job! Now that we have reviewed the six simple
machines, we are ready to learn about compound machines! I am going to show you all a comic
on the board. I want you all to read the comic, and try to use it to figure out what you think a
compound machine is. When you think you have it, raise your hand so you can tell the rest of the
class!
Present the comic The Amazing Adventures of Scorpy Bug: Compound Machines to the class.
Begin about halfway down the comic, where Scropy is cutting out a snowflake
o http://www.amazementsquare.org/scorpy/comics/year2/2006-12-18_compmac.html
When students raise their hands, look for a response that a compound machine is a
combination, compound, or multiple simple machines that work together
Say, Great job! A compound machine is a machine that is made-up of multiple simple machines
that work together. For example, in the comic with Scorpy you just read, the scissors are a
compound machine. (Call on a student by name), do you remember what simple machines make-
up the scissors?
Allow student to answer, a lever and a wedge
Say, Correct! Scissors are a compound machine made-up of a lever and a wedge. The wedge is
the edge of the scissor blades, and the fulcrum on the levers hold the two wedges together as the
blades move closer together to cut things. Lastly, the handles, or the levers, allow hands to direct
the scissors as they cut what they are cutting.
 (Call on a student by name), what about in this wheel barrow? We have a lever and the wheel
and axel. Do you know how these work together to create the wheel barrow?
Allow the student to respond. They should answer saying that the handles on the wheelbarrow
are the levers, and the wheel and axle at the bottom are the wheel and axle. Using the
handlebars, the levers, one can push the wheel barrow and the wheel and axle help the
compound machine to, hopefully, smoothly move across the ground
Say, That is great! Thank you so much! Let us practice one more time as a class. This time, let us
use the bicycle, another compound machine, like the one that we had in our story earlier! Would
someone like to tell me what simple machines make-up the bicycle?
Allow a student to respond wheel and axle and levers
Say, Correct! Now, can someone else tell me how these work together?
Call on a student to talk the other students for the process. Have them mention that the
handlebars are the levers and that the two wheels are the axel and wheel. This compound
machine allows the handlebars, or the levers, to control where the bike goes as they are able to
turn the axels and wheels

OUTPUT: (30 minutes)

Say, Great job! Now, I am going to give you a list of compound machines that are common
household items or compound machines that can be found in your home! Using your knowledge
of simple machines and now compound machines, you are going to choose three objects from
the list that you use in your home, draw a picture of them, and then identify the simple machines
used in each object or item. In addition, on one of them, I want you to describe for me how the
simple machines work together. If you have extra time, you can either explain how on the other
two compound machines simple machines work together, or you can choose other items from
the list and identify their simple machines too!
Give students the worksheet to accompany the activity
Say, If you need help, please raise your hand! On the worksheet, I used our scissors example to
give you an example of how to complete the required information for the chosen objects!

VII. Check for understanding

I will check for student understanding as they are completing their output activity, the
compound machines worksheet. I will walk around and ask them questions to gain an
idea of where individual students are with completing the objective. I will also give time
for them to ask questions after explaining the activity and answer the questions they are
asking.

VIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure (10 minute)

After students have had the time to complete the worksheet activity, pick an item from
the list and say, Can someone who chose (insert compound machine here) please tell us
what simple machines you found in it?
Continue to go around and allow students to share their findings with the rest of the
class
Afterwards, say, Great job everyone! You have all learned about compound machine,
the machines made-up of multiple simple machines.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

Formative: responses during the direct instruction portion of the instruction; during the
output/independent practice, I will walk around and ask students questions regarding their responses
on the worksheet; correct completion of the worksheet; responses during closing activity

Summative: end of unit assessment on compound machines

(ACEI 4.0)
REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
a. Blooms Taxonomy
b. Gardners Multiple Intelligences
7. Were the comics as instruction a good choice for the class? Would they have responded
better to a video explaining compound machines instead?
8. Next time, would students benefit from extending the project and taking it home, or going
around the school to discover their own compound machines, instead of choosing from the
list?
Revision Date: August 25, 2015
2007 ACEI Standards