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Tools

The goal of this lesson is not for students to learn what the simple machines are, even though this is an underlying theme. Students will approach the lesson in a much more open fashion. They will discuss tools and how they function. This will naturally lead to acknowledgment of how tools make our lives easier.

By categorizing everyday items, students will come to understand the natural functions of tools. This base of knowledge will lead into exercises and discussions about how complex machines are a conglomerate of simpler tools and motions, as well as how tools have changed and become more sophisticated throughout history.

At the end of the lesson to reemphasize the importance of tools in human society, students will write a paper in which they imagine a world without a particular tool.

Ideas in this lesson are also related to concepts found in the following benchmarks:

• 8B The Designed World: Materials and Manufacturing (3-5) #4
• 8C The Designed World: Energy Sources and Use (3-5) #1

• Hammer
• Nails
• Thick piece of wood
• Bottle with a pop-off top
• Bottle opener
• Nutcracker
• A few walnuts
• Large index cards
• Tools teacher sheet

Station #1
For this demonstration, you will need a thick piece of wood and a large nail. The nail should be hammered most of the way into the wood. You may want to have several such pieces of wood if you have a large class. Challenge students to try to pull the nail out of the wood.

Station #2
For this demonstration, you will need several different unopened cans. Challenge students to try to open the cans just using their hands or to suggest ways to open them just using their own bodies.

Station #3
For this demonstration, you will need several walnuts. Ask students to crack them open with their hands or to suggest ways to crack them open just using their own bodies. (Don't let students put the walnuts in their mouths.)

After the students have attempted the challenges, ask the following questions:

• What do you think these three situations have in common?
• Is there something that can make it easier for us to pull out the nail, open the can, or crack open the walnut?

Then, ask the following questions:

• How did these tools help us perform the tasks?
• Can you think of some other examples of things you couldn't do without tools?
• Can you think of even better tools than the ones we have in class to do these tasks? (Students might suggest using an electric can opener or a power tool to take out the nail.)
• What do you think life would be like without tools? (This is a rather open ended question and is something students will think out at the end of the lesson.)

Step 1- Lead your students to understand how tools function, as well as how they make our lives easier.

Divide students into groups of four or five. Assign each group a few common items, some of which are direct tools, and some which are assisted by tools. Item ideas have been provided on the Tools teacher sheet. Using the index cards, have each group make a card for each assigned item.

Cards should include:

• a picture of the item (either drawn, computer generated, or cut out from a magazine)
• two explanations-one will describe how the item functions and the other, how it makes our lives easier

After the cards are made, collect all of the cards and as a class categorize their functions. Though you may want to lead students to categorize the cards into the simple machine categories as are stated on the Tools teacher sheet, remember that they are probably not familiar with this terminology. This categorization could be confining for students' thought processes. Let them decide the categories.

For instance, instead of wheel and axle, students may categorize items into "things that roll on wheels" or "things that use wheels to move faster than walking." Instead of ramp, they may call these items "hills" or "slants." Encourage them to find what some items have in common in order to categorize them.

Step 3- Lead students to understand that complex machines and tools are made up of the basic parts that perform basic functions.

Continue the discussion. Take the wheel barrel card. This is an item that could have been categorized in either the wheel and axle, or the lever. Ask students to try to describe the wheel barrel without one of these simple functions. It would serve a purpose, but not its full purpose.

At the top of the page, the term "simple machines" is used and if students ask about it, you could write the proper terms on the board: lever, screw, inclined plane, wedge, wheel, and axle. Show them how these terms parallel their categorizations.

You can give students the list of websites and have them explore them on their own, or you can divide the class into thirds and assign one of the following to each group:

• History of Carpentry Tools
• Tools of Colonial Williamsburg
• Tools that Made Our World

"A World Without (????)"
Students fill in the name of a tool and describe how life would be without that object.

"The Invention of (????)"
Students choose an invention and describe where it came from and how the invention is a combination of simple motions as well as how it makes our lives easier. Also, what life was like before the invention. Students can explore the Invention Dimension website to find inventors and their inventions.

Regardless of the students' approach, they should cover the following in their papers:

• Explain situations in which this tool or machine makes a task easier.
• If applicable, are there things we could not sense or do at all without your machine?
• Name some things that your machine helps humans do better. (These may be once or twice removed. For instance, if the student chooses a bike, he or she may ponder how a bike helps us get around better, or take better care of our bodies through exercise.)
• What do you think life would be like without tools and machines?

To learn more about rubrics in general, see Make Room for Rubrics on the Scholastic site.

For specific examples of rubrics, more information, and links to other resources, check out the following sites:

• Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Assessment & Rubric Information
• Assessment: Creating Rubrics
• Rubrics for Web Lessons

Created :10/20/2001