Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Amanda Johns and Erica Lis Date:

Group Size: 17 students Allotted Time: 25 minutes Grade Level: 3rd

Subject or Topic: Simple Machines - Force and Motion Unit

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

3.2.3.B1 - Explain how movement can be described in many ways.

S4.C.3.1 - Identify and describe different types of force and motion resulting from these
forces, or the effect of the interaction between force and motion

S4.C.3.1.1 - Describe changes in motion caused by forces (e.g. pushes or pulls, gravity,
friction)

3.4.3.E3 - Recognize that tools, machines, products, and systems use energy in order to do
work.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
Students will be able to label the parts of a lever.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1. Observational 1. The teacher will observe students as
they engage in the lesson.

2. Formative Assessment 2. Students will label the 5 parts of a

lever.
Assessment Scale:
Formative Assessment Grade
5 points - student answered all 5 questions correctly
4 points - student answered 4 of the 5 questions correctly
3 points - student answered 3 of the 5 question correctly
2 points - student answered 2 of the 5 questions correctly
1 point - student answered 1 of the 5 questions correctly
0 points - student answered none of the questions correctly

Subject Matter/Content: Science - Matter and Motion

Prerequisites:Newton’s Laws of Motion, Push and Pull, Balanced and Unbalanced Forces,
Gravity, Friction, Mass, Magnets, Pendulums, Centrifugal Force, Simple Machines, Inclined
Planes, Wedges, and Screws
Key Vocabulary:
Lever - A rod balanced on a fixed point that can help to lift a heavy weight with less effort
Rod - The part of the lever that you push down on and lifts the load
Fulcrum - the center point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots
Load - the weight on the end that you are trying to lift
Effort - the force you use to push the lever down in order to lift the load
Content/Facts:
● A lever can be seen in many things in our world. From the seesaw at the park to the
scissors in your desk, levers are all around you.
● Levers make work easier by changing the direction of your force.
● There are three types of levers. They all depend on the location of the fulcrum, the
load, and the effort.

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
Welcome back engineers! So far we have learned about a few simple machines. Can
anyone tell me what machines we have talked about so far?” Allow students to respond.
“Yes, we have talked about inclined planes, wedges, and screws. Today we are going
to learn about another simple machine called a lever. Seesaws, scissors, pliers,
shovels, and wheelbarrows are all types of levers.”

Development/Teaching Approaches:
“The lever contains two main parts, the rod balanced on a center point called the
fulcrum.”
“There are two sides of a lever. One side holds the load, or the object that we are
trying to lift that might be too heavy for us to lift yourself. The other side is where you
put your effort. That is where you push down. When you push down on the effort side
of the lever, it pushes up the load on the other side. The effort it would take for you to
pick up the object by yourself would be a lot more than the amount of effort you will
need to push down on the lever.”

“I want to share a video with you that will help to show you one way that you can use
a lever.”The teacher will then play the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=lueqE0lxLyc

After the video the teacher will continue by starting the experiment.

“We are going to complete a real world example right now using a few of our star
engineers.” The teacher will draw three popsicle sticks and call the three engineers to the
front. She will explain that they each will try to lift the milk jug full with sand. In between
each student the handle will be cleaned for safety. Then the teacher will place the milk jug on
the wooden lever. Then the students will each try to push down on the lever with their foot
to feel how much easier it is to lift. If desired, the teacher can move the fulcrum point to
show how it can make the load easier to lift. (this is optional and depends on time)

After the student example, students will go to the google form and will have to identify the
parts of a lever system. This will be their formative assessment.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
“Today we learned about another one of six simple machines, the lever. The lever is a
tool that can help us lift heavy loads. Tomorrow we will learn about another type of
simple machine that can also help us lift heavy loads.”
Accommodations/Differentiation:
This lesson is designed to be the most engaging and interactive it can be in the circumstances
of this year. Therefore, only three students will get to do the activity but the rest of the class
can watch their friends complete the activity.

Students with IEPs will have aides in the classroom if needed.

Materials/Resources:

Let's Talk Science, & 09, M. (2020, March 09). Simple Machines - Levers. Retrieved
January 2, 2021, from https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-
resources/backgrounders/simple-machines-levers

Levers Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lueqE0lxLyc

Pick your ride form - https://forms.gle/amMQwVYmcJLgVgoB6
Google Form - https://forms.gle/H8BwwcTEyCvUbUrA7
Google Slides, Computer, Lever Assessment on paper, Pencils
2 by 4 board, Milk jug filled with sand, fulcrum

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Additional reflection/thoughts