Simple Machines
Simple machines help to make work easier. They are around us everyday and everywhere. Our focus in this unit of study is levers, inclined planes, and the wedge. We will also take a brief look at screws, wheels, pulleys, and gears. We work with hands-on materials as often as possible in Kindergarten, so the children can access the learning in many different ways. It is relatively easy to find suitable manipulatives for this unit. The children have pounded wedges between pieces of furniture to see how a wedge moves things apart. We love to build ramps with blocks. Our helpful custodians demonstrate how a dolly works as a lever to lift and move a heavy object. The children take their ideas on simple machines and convert them into complex inventions. These are represented on paper and with building materials. We take our new knowledge and create a class book so that all of our families can share our machine ideas. At the end of this unit, we plan to take a trip to Canal Lanes in Southampton where we can bowl a couple of strings and then have a tour of the pinsetting equipment. It’s an exciting and memorable trip.
