UT Standards Academy Levers Lesson Plan
TITLE – With Grade Level and Topic
“Give Me a Lever….and I Shall Move the World”
Grade: 8
Topic: Calculate the mechanical advantage of a lever
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GENERAL:
Summary – 3- 4 sentences Participants will engage in two stations wherein they experience
mechanical advantage. Students will then receive instruction on how to calculate
mechanical advantage. Next participants will create an instructional video about how to
calculate mechanical advantage that will be assessed using a rubric. Finally, there is a
homework assignment that requires students to compare and contrast the lab experience
they had with levers to a reading assignment about levers.
Science Curriculum Standard Tie – Disciplinary Core Idea (K-12 Framework)
Standard 4: Students will understand the relationships among energy, force, and motion.
Objective 3: Investigate the application of forces that act on objects, and the resulting motion.
a. Calculate the mechanical advantage created by a lever.
b. Engineer a device that uses levers or inclined planes to create a mechanical advantage.
c. Engineer a device that uses friction to control the motion of an object.
d. Design and build a complex machine capable of doing a specified task.
e. Investigate the principles used to engineer changes in forces and motion.
K-12 Framework
MSPS21.
Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of
two colliding objects.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of practical problems could
include the impact of collisions between two cars, between a car and stationary objects, and
between a meteor and a space vehicle.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to
vertical or horizontal interactions in one dimension.]
MSPS22.
Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion
depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. [Clarification
Statement: Emphasis is on balanced (Newton’s First Law) and unbalanced forces in a
system, qualitative comparisons of forces, mass and changes in motion (Newton’s Second
Law), frame of reference, and specification of units.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is
limited to forces and changes in motion in one-dimension in an inertial reference frame and
to change in one variable at a time. Assessment does not include the use of trigonometry.]
MSPS25.
Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence
that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects
are not in contact. [Clarification Statement: Examples of this phenomenon could
include the interactions of magnets, electrically-charged strips of tape, and electricallycharged pith balls. Examples of investigations could include first-hand experiences or
simulations.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to electric and magnetic
fields, and limited to qualitative evidence for the existence of fields.]
ILO – Science and Engineering Practice (K-12 Framework)
ILO’s
3. Demonstrate Understanding of Science Concepts and Principles
a. Know and explain science information specificed for grade level.
5. Demonstrate Awareness of Social and Historical Aspects of Science
a. Cite examples of how science affects life.
.
K-12 Framework
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses
to include constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources of
evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.
·
Apply scientific ideas or principles to design an object, tool, process or system. (MS-PS2-1)
Cross Cutting Concepts (K-12 Framework)
Cause and Effect
·
Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed
systems. (MS-PS2-3),(MS-PS2-5)
Math and/or ELA Curriculum Tie
CCSS.Math.Content.8.EE.C.8c Solve real-world and mathematical problems leading to two linear
equations in two variables. For example, given coordinates for two pairs of points, determine
whether the line through the first pair of points intersects the line through the second pair.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments,
simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
Time Frame: Number of Class Periods – Number of Minutes
60 to 90 minutes
Group Size
Stations activity: 2 groups of 10-15 students; instruction to whole class; video assignment
in groups of 2-3
Technology Tools Utilized
iPads or phones or digital cameras to make videos
Edmodo to share documents and videos
Doceri as an interactive whiteboard
Bibliography
http://www.uen.org/core/science/sciber/sciber8/stand-4/levers.shtml
http://eq.uen.org/emedia/file/e5219302-32b9-4c2f-ad6538f303da6654/1/grade8scienceoer.pdf
The Lever http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/simple_machines/lever.htm
Interactive Mechanical Advantage
http://www.cosi.org/downloads/activities/simplemachines/sm1.html
Video on using Levers on Easter Island
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.energy.moai/levers-raising-the-moaion-easter-island/
Video from Cyber Chase using levers
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/wnet09.math.algebra.var.wnetlever/lifting-withlevers/
CK-12 Levers
http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Physical-Science-Concepts-For-MiddleSchool/r12/section/4.45/
CK-12 Simple Machines – scroll down to the section on levers – includes video on skateboards
as levers
http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Physical-Science-For-Middle-School/r11/section/16.3/
CK-12 Mechanical Advantage with video explanation and examples
http://www.ck12.org/user:mabengry/book/High-School-Physics-Honors/r1/section/8.2/
CK-12 Compare Ideal Mechanical Advantage to Mechanical Advantage formulas with examples
http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Physical-Science-Concepts/r2/section/4.41/
Mechanical Advantage
http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/simple_machines/mechanical_advantage.htm
Calculating Mechanical Advantage
http://iqa.evergreenps.org/science/phy_science/ma.html
Calculating Mechanical Advantage examples and problems
http://www.cposcience.com/home/Portals/2/Media/post_sale_content/PHY2/Ancillaries/SkillShe
ets/Unit_4/10.1_MechAdvSimpMach.pdf
Lesson Plan on Mechanical Advantage
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/7518
Key Words
Lever, fulcrum, effort arm, resistance arm, load, mechanical advantage, simple machine
INSTRUCTIONAL:
Materials –
Station 1: hammers, nails, boards, paint cans, screwdrivers, brooms, scissors, pliers,
nutcracker, bottle opener, and tweezers.
Station 2: 2x4x10, saw horse, 50 lb weight, measuring tape, laminated sheets that say
fulcrum, load, resistance arm, and effort arm
Instruction time: iPad with interactive white board program such as Doceri
Assignment time: iPad, iPhone, digital camera or some devise that can take videos;
computer to post assignment
Background for Teachers – Website Links or Specific Content
Student Prior Knowledge: None required
Instructional Procedure
Teacher Preparation: Assemble materials; create areas for two stations; prepare
technology aspect by setting up Edmodo account for participants; post quiz on Edmodo;
post or print rubric.
Performance Task
Station 1:
1) Ask: Are levers really that helpful?
2) Have students hammer a few nails into a few boards and try to pull them out with their
hands. Then hand out a hammer and have them remove the nails with the claw of the
hammer. The object is that they should observe it is much easier to remove nails with a
lever. As we push on the handle and claw( lever arm) the head( fulcrum) pushes against
the wood and simply pulls out the nail(load).
3) Have students try removing a paint can lid with their fingers and then with a screwdriver.
Again, the objective is to experience the mechanical advantage of a lever.
4) Explore brooms, scissors, pliers, nutcracker, bottle opener, and tweezers. This should
be an inquiry activity. Students should explore levers of various kinds.
Station 2:
1) Set up a lever where the 2x4 is the lever arm, the sawhorse is the fulcrum, and the
cinder block is the load. Put the fulcrum 2 ft from the end of the 2x4 so that the effort arm
is 8 ft long and the resistance arm is 2 ft.
2) Have the participants form a semi-circle around the lever set up and then pass the
cinder block from one end of the semi-circle to the other, having each person set the weight
down and lift it again so that every participant personally feels how heavy ir is.
3) Attach the load (cinder block) to the resistance arm.
4) Instruct the people in the semi-circle to lift the weight using the lever. Again, each
person should lift the weight using the lever so they can personally feel how easy it is to lift
the weight using the lever.
5) Ask: Does the placement of the fulcrum make a difference? Insist that participants
take a stand on whether it makes a difference or not. Ask students to explain the reason
for their answer.
6) Ask: How can we find out?
7) At their suggestion, move the fulcrum to the 5 ft mark so that the effort arm and the
resistance arm are the same length.
8) Instruct the people in the semi-circle to lift the weight using the lever. Again, each
person should lift the weight using the lever so they can personally feel difference.
9) Ask: What would happen if we significantly shorten the effort arm?
10) Put the fulcrum 2 ft from one end so the resistance arm is 8 ft long. Attach the load to
the end of the resistance arm.
11) Instruct the people in the semi-circle to lift the weight using the lever. Again, each
person should lift the weight using the lever so they can personally feel the difference.
12) Ask: What did you observe about using levers?
13) Instruct: To be better able to communicate our observations, it is useful to give labels
to the different parts of the lever.
14) Attach the laminated vocabulary cards to the appropriate places on the lever.
Re-assemble as a group for class instruction about how to calculate mechanical advantage.
Group Instruction:
1) Ask a participant to draw the first lever we used in the 2x4 station.
2) Ask students to label resistance arm, effort arm, fulcrum, load, force
3) Define each term
 EFFORT ARM: The part of the lever where the force (the effort) is applied.
 RESISTANCE ARM: The part of the level that has the load (it resists the effort to lift)
 FULCRUM: The pivot point of the lever
 LOAD: The object that is being lifted or moved
 FORCE: The amount of effort required to life the load
4) INTRODUCE the idea of mechanical advantage

The MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE is a number that indicates how helpful a machine is. The
higher the number, the more the machine reduces the amount of force that must be
applied.
5) The lever’s ideal mechanical advantage is found by dividing the effort arm length by the
resistance arm length.
FORMULA: Effort arm length/resistance arm length
KEY TO REMEMBER: If your arm is broken, you go to the E/R
6) The lever’s actual mechanical advantage is found by dividing the output force (load) by the
input force (push).
FORMULA: Output force/input force
KEY TO REMEMBER: If someone forces you to do something, you first push out before
you give in.
7) Practice as a group. Solve the following problems. SHOW YOUR WORK!
 What is the mechanical advantage of a lever if the effort arm is 20 mm and the resistance
arm is 5 mm? (4)
 What is the mechanical advantage of a lever if the effort arm is 5 mm and the resistance
arm is 20 mm? (.25)
 What is the mechanical advantage of a lever of the output force is 8 N and the input force is
4 N? (2)
 What is the mechanical advantage of a lever if the resistance arm is 3 mm and the effort
arm is 9 mm? (3)
 What is the mechanical advantage of a lever if the output force is 24 N and the input force is
6 N? (4)
Assignment: Create a multimedia presentation that complies with the following criteria:
Task
Requirement
Points
Multimedia PowerPoint, Prenzi, video presentation that has high quality images,
graphics, and/or audio. Presentation is visually compelling and
interesting.
Instruction
Time
/10
Presentation accurately demonstrates how to calculate mechanical
advantage. Provides opportunity for viewers to practice calculating
mechanical advantage.
/10
Presentation is no less than 2 minutes and no more than 4 minutes
/5
Task List
List submitted of all members of presentation team AND the task
each member completed that shows that all members contributed
/5
TOTAL_____________________/30
Homework:
Go to the following website, scroll to page 128, and read about levers on pages 128-130.
Compare and contrast the information gained from the classroom investigations with that gained
from reading a text.
Strategies for Diverse Learners
The stations will address the needs of kinesthetic learners. The group instructions will help
the auditory and visual learners. The video production involves all types of learners.
Extensions
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-act A levers interactive. Cannot be used
with iPads.
http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/ A simple simple machines activity
http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Red-Bull-Kluge/001243281393464 Video of
popular-with-teens athletes interacting with a huge number of simple machines—A modern
Rube Goldberg contraption
ASSESSMENT:
Assessment Plan
Summative: Video production assessed by a rubric and posted on Edmodo.
Assessment Rubric –
Task
Requirement
Multimedia PowerPoint, Prenzi, video presentation that has high quality images,
graphics, and/or audio. Presentation is visually compelling and
interesting.
Instruction
Time
Presentation accurately demonstrates how to calculate mechanical
advantage. Provides opportunity for viewers to practice calculating
mechanical advantage.
Points
/10
/10
Presentation is no less than 2 minutes and no more than 4 minutes
/5
Task List
List submitted of all members of presentation team AND the task
each member completed that shows that all members contributed
TOTAL____________/30
/5