Unit Plan

Title of Unit Wheels and Levers Grade Level Grade 4

Subject Science Time Frame Approx. 8 weeks (January and

February)

Developed By Keely Boschee

Unit Focus

The Wheels and Levers unit is based upon the specific and general learning outcomes presented by the Alberta
Program of Studies. Within the unit students will explore and evaluate the 6 simple machines, force and work,
and drive systems and gears. Throughout the unit students will be given multiple opportunities to have hands-
on experiences with the simple machines. Additionally, the Building Devices That Move unit will be
incorporated throughout this unit through learning about energy, and building pop can racers and Rube
Goldberg’s. By the end of the unit students will be able to answer all I can statements from the Edmonton
Public School document.

Learning Outcomes
What relevant goals will this unit address?

General Outcome: 4-6 Demonstrate a practical understanding of wheels, gears, and levers by constructing
devices in which energy is transferred to produce motion.

Specific Outcomes:

1. Explain how rollers can be used to move an object, and demonstrate the use of rollers in a practical
situation.
2. Compare the wheel and the roller, and identify examples where each are used.
3. Construct devices that use wheels and axles, and demonstrate and describe their use in:
 model vehicles
 pulley systems
  gear systems.
4. Construct and explain the operation of a drive system that uses one or more of the following:
 wheel-to-wheel contact
 a belt or elastic
 a chain
 cogs or gears.
5. Construct and explain the operation of a drive system that transfers motion from one shaft to a second
shaft, where the second shaft is:
 parallel to the first
 at a 90° angle to the first.
6. Demonstrate ways to use a lever that:
 applies a small force to create a large force
 applies a small movement to create a large movement.
7. Predict how changes in the size of a lever or the position of the fulcrum will affect the forces and
movements involved.

8. Construct models of levers; and explain how levers are involved in such devices as: teetertotters, scissors,
pliers, pry bars, tongs, nutcrackers, fishing rods, wheelbarrows.
Essential Understandings, Knowledge, and Skills Essential Questions

Students will… Content specific…

 Understand the purpose and function of simple  How do simple machines make work easier?
machines  Where do you find simple machines in your
 Know the six types of simple machines everyday environment?
 Understand difference between wheels and  How does force affect motion?
rollers
 Identify the three classes of levers
 Identify different types of forces
 Identify the three types of pulleys
 Identify pulleys, levers, inclined planes, screws,
wheels and axels, and wedges
 Identify simple machines in daily life
 Construct a simple machine/ compound machine
 Construct devices that use wheels and axles,
gears, and drive systems
 Assessment Evidence

Pre-Assessment

 “What do you think you know” worksheet

Quizzes, Tests Performance Tasks, Projects

 Unit test  Rube Goldberg Project

Other Evidence Student self-assessment

 Class discussions/ observations  Exit slip

 Exit slip  Thumbs up/ Thumbs down
 Labs/ experiments  Review sheet
 Worksheets
 Kahoots
 Jeopardy

Assessment Tool Overview

Assessme Assessme Assessme

Assessment Tool Brief Description nt FOR nt AS nt OF
Learning Learning Learning
The pre-assessment activity will be used at the
beginning of the unit for me to determine what the
students already know about simple machines.
Students will individually complete the worksheet
Pre-assessment
and then we will go over it as a class. This
assessment tool is assessment FOR learning as it will
determine what the students already know or do not
know.
 Each lesson will contain multiple classroom
discussions whether they be whole class, group,
partner, or one-one conversations. These discussions
will act as observations for me to formatively assess
Daily observations/
students understandings as we move throughout the
discussions
unit. This assessment tool is assessment FOR
learning as it will be used to determine where the
students are in terms of their current understanding
on content taught.
Each Science class will end with an exit slip which
will contain one question relating to the content
learned during that class as well as a place for
students to show me how they are feeling about the
content by drawing a symbol (, :/, ). This will not
be taken in for marks, rather used as a formative
Exit Slip
assessment/ check-in to see how students processed
knowledge right after the lesson was taught. This
assessment tool is assessment FOR and AS learning
as exit slips will not be taken in for marks (FOR) and
students will evaluate and reflect on their own
knowledge (AS).
Skill-based tasks will be used to help the students
learn and review what they have learned in engaging
ways. These include activity sheets, mini-whiteboard
questions, Kahoots, and jeopardy. This assessment
tool is assessment FOR and AS learning as none of
Skill-based tasks
these skill-based tasks will be taken in for marks
(FOR) and students will evaluate and reflect on their
own knowledge (AS). Rather, these skill-based tasks
will be used to formatively assess where the students
are at.
There will be a final task at the end of the unit to tie
all the key concepts together. Students will be asked
to work individually or in partners on this assignment
Performance task
where they will construct their own Rube Goldberg
machine. This assessment is assessment OF learning
since the task will be graded.
 There will be a unit test that covers the content from
Unit test the entire unit. This assessment tool is assessment
OF learning as the unit will be formally graded.

Day Length Focus Lesson Activities Resources

1 1 hour Introduction to  Read “How do you lift a lion” - Simple

simple machines  “What do you think you know” activity Machines print
 Simple machine hidden message scavenger hunt and go
 Whole class discussion – real world examples worksheets
- Scavenger
hunt hand-outs
and cards
- “How do you
lift a lion” book
2 30 mins  Review the simple machines - Simple
Simple  Start notebook – add title and “what is a simple machine” Machines print
machines  Simple machine flip book – add to notebook and go
worksheets
- Notebooks for
all kids
3 30 mins  Simple machines paper folding activity – add to notebook - Simple
Simple Machines Machines print
and go
worksheets
4 30 mins  Simple machine sorting game – add to notebook - Simple
Simple Machines Machine sorting
game
5 1 hour  Simple machines scavenger hunt – add to notebook -Multiple
Simple Machines  Simple machine I-spy worksheet – add to notebook examples of
simple
machines
-Hand-out
6 30 mins  Explain the difference between simple and compound - PowerPoint
Simple Machines machines - Compound
VS compound  Compound machine – add to notebook machine
machines definition print
out
7 30 mins  Invent your own compound machine – add to notebook -Compound
Compound machine
machines activity sheet
8 30 mins  Videos/ worksheet about force, work, and motion - Videos
Force, Work, and  Definition foldable – add to notebook (Youtube,
Motion Brainpop)
- Worksheets
- Definition
hand-out
9 1 hour  Real world force/motion stations students rotate through - Prediction/
Force, Work, and  Add to notebook results hand-
Motion out
- Supplies for
each station
10 30 mins  Force and motion would you rather game – add to notebook -Would you
Force, Work, and rather activity
Motion cards and
hand-out
11 30 mins Wheels and  Wheels and Rollers template activity - Venn Diagram
Rollers  Adding to notebook - Simple
Machines print
and go activity
12 30 mins Rollers  Rollers activity/ Lab - Books
- Marbles
- Hand-out

13 1 hour Wheels and  Video -Brain pop

axles  Build sample cars wheel and axle
video
- One hole
punch
- straws
- Skewers
- Wheels
14 30 mins Classes of levers  Classes of levers activity – add to notebook - Worksheet

15 30 mins Levers  Review classes of levers - Popsicle sticks

 Make levers - Elastics
- Eraser
- Crayons
16 30 mins Levers  Identify classes of levers worksheet - Worksheet

17 1 hour Pulleys  Review of pulleys/ different type of pulleys - Video

 Video - Worksheet
 Pulley activity – add to notebook
18 30 mins Pulleys  Finish learning about the three different types of pulleys -Worksheet
 Make goldfish pulley system from last day
- gold fish
- paper towel
rolls
- twine
- plastic cup
- ribbon spools
- masking tape
19 30 mins How do you lift a  Review the book “How do you lift a lion” read on the first day -popsicle sticks
lion lab of the unit -string
 Using all knowledge about the 6 simple machines & force/ -toy lions
motion, students will experiment with how they can lift a toy -wheels
lion

20 30 mins Review  Review all content learned thus far - Kahoot

 Kahoot

21 30 mins Drive systems  Video - Video

 Drive system activity – add to notebook - Simple
Machines print
and go
worksheets
22 1 hour Drive systems/  Quick review - Simple
Gears  Finish activity from previous day Machines print
 Video/ gear worksheet and go
 worksheets

23 30 mins Gears  Gear worksheet continued -Worksheet

24 30 mins Lego building  Simple Machine/ gear Lego building - Lego sets

25 30 mins Lego building  Simple Machine/ gear Lego building - Lego sets

26 1 hour Energy  What energy is - Video

 How energy is transferred - Hand-out
 Potential and Kinetic energy - Marbles
 Lab/ Experiment - Rulers
- Books
27 30 mins Energy  Complete Lab experiment/ report - Hand-out
- Marbles
- Rulers
- Books
28 30 mins Pop Can Roller  Build pop can rollers - Pop cans
- Elastics
- Popsicle sticks
- Pony beads
- Pipe cleaners

29 30 mins Pop Can Roller  Experiment with pop can rollers - Pop cans
- Elastics
- Popsicle sticks
- Pony beads
- Pipe cleaners
30 1 hour Pop Can Roller  Complete Lab report on pop can rollers - Hand-out
 Race pop can rollers - Tape measure

31 30 mins Rube Goldberg  Students will work in groups to make Rube Goldberg machines -Example
machines videos
- Materials for
making Rube
Goldberg’s
32 30 mins Rube Goldberg  Students will work in groups to make Rube Goldberg machines -Example
machines videos
- Materials for
making Rube
Goldberg’s
33 30 mins Review  Jeopardy for review of the unit -Jeopardy
online game
34 30 mins Unit test  Unit test -Unit test