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Grade 3

Grade 3 · Printables

Six simple machines

Find them at home. Part of looking closely.

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Six simple machines

Find them at home · Alberta Grade 3 · maddyhelps.com

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Read what each one does, then find a real example in the house and draw or name it. There are far more than anyone expects — a staircase is a ramp and a tap is a wheel and axle.

Lever

A bar that turns on a point. A seesaw, scissors, a bottle opener.

I found

Ramp

A slope. Easier to push up than to lift straight, but further to go.

I found

Pulley

A wheel with a rope. Lets you pull down to lift up.

I found

Wheel and axle

A wheel fixed to a rod. A door handle, a tap, a bicycle.

I found

Wedge

Two slopes back to back. An axe, a knife, a doorstop.

I found

Screw

A ramp wrapped round a post. A jar lid, a bolt.

I found

A simple machine does not reduce the work. What does it do instead?

For the grown-up

Six simple machines

It spreads the work out — over a longer distance, or in an easier direction. A ramp means pushing less hard for longer; a pulley means pulling down instead of lifting up. The total effort is roughly the same, which surprises everyone.

Why this matters is on the looking closely page. More sheets