Lesson

Title/Focus

Simple Machines: Levers

Subject/Gra
de Level

Grade 3/4 Science

Unit

Simple Machines: Wheels and Levers

Date
Time
Duratio
n
Teache
r

November 25 12:452:05
80 min
Mr. Bradley

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcomes:
Specific
Learning
Outcomes:

46 Demonstrate a practical understanding of wheels, gears and levers by

constructing devices in which energy is transferred to produce motion
SLE 6- Demonstrate a way to use a lever that: applies a small force to create a large
force applies a small movement to create a large movement.
SLE 7: Predict how changes in the size of a lever or the position of the fulcrum will
affect the forces and movements involved.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

What do you want your students to learn?

Students will:
1. List real- world examples of the three classes of levers through the smartboard activity
2. Build the three classes of levers using the materials they have available in their bins, in
order to lift their good fit book.
3. Select which class of lever they would use to solve a hypothetical problem in the
identifying and understanding levers worksheet.
4. Identifying the various classes and pieces of the lever in the worksheet.

ASSESSMENTS
Formative /
Summative

How will you know your students have learned?

Worksheet will show what they learned in the lesson

Observation during the days activities will be used to fill out my
formative assessment checklist
Q&A participation will determine prior knowledge and current
understanding of material.

LEARNING
RESOURCES CONSULTED

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT- #s

Edmonton Public Schools Wheels and Levers

Pencils, sharpeners, rulers, etc. (various

items in their blue bins
Identifying and understanding levers
worksheet

PROCEDURE
Attention Grabber /
Introduction

Learning Activity
Sponge activity:
If they finish early
they will read their
good fit book.
- Some extra
time can
also go to a
quick

Introduction
Good afternoon students, today we are continuing our
science unit on machines. Todays lesson will be on the lever,
one of the most common simple machines. The lever is found
all over and it helps people in a lot of different ways, primarily
though, it is used to lift heavy objects.
Body
1. Students will participate in the smartboard activity to
be introduced to the lever, its uses, all the different
kinds, and find some levers in everyday life. 15 min
2. Students will then build each class of lever using the
materials in their bins. First they will build a first class
lever, ask them to first build one to lift a book, then
have them move the fulcrum and observe if it makes it
easier or harder to lift. GIVE TIME TO THE
TRANSITIONS. Step by Step they need to: - grab their
blue bins sit at their desks dont pull out materials

Time

5 min

Time
65 min

discussion in
the closure,
should the
worksheet
prove too
easy.

Closure/
Next Class

yet. We will go group by group. This is an individual

assignment and the noise level should reflect such.
10 min/ lever (30)
3. Next students will put their materials away except for
a pencil and eraser. 5 min
4. I will hand out the Identifying and Understanding
levers worksheet for students to complete. 15 min
5. Clean up at 1: 55

Closure
1:55- 2:05 cleanup
Great work today class, it looks like we will be running out of
time soon, so who can tell me what a lever is and how it helps
us with our work?
- Very good! Levers are two arms pivoting on a fulcrum,
and they help us move or exert force on hard/ heavy
objects.
- What is one thing you learned today that you didnt
know about before? Hands up.
- What are some examples of levers that you might see
in your day?
- I would like you to double check to make sure your
name is on your worksheet and hand it in at the back
teacher table, then you can start the clean-up for
lunch time. Once you have cleaned up you can get
ready for lunch recess you may read you good fit
books at your desk. (If there is too much time, they
can read their good fit book until 1:55

Time

10 min

Personal Reflection Notes:

This lesson went really well and is a good example of differentiated instruction. Students responded
positively to the chance to build something in science. My planning and introduction was one of the
stronger points of this lesson, but I still need to work on some of my classroom management procedures.
One key area of improvement I have noticed thus far is my assessments, and developing some kind of
system for what the students will do with the work once it has been completed and marked. Using the
materials in their bins/ cubbies is a great way to eliminate the scarce resources problem I saw in an
earlier lesson. Students were all very excited to show their creations to the class and everyone was able to
label all the parts of a lever by the end of the time period. This lesson reflects many of the Alberta interim
KSAs, most notably 5, 8, 9, and 10. Differentiated activates and instruction was the key to this lesson.