This document outlines a three-day lesson plan for third-grade students on simple machines, incorporating technology to enhance learning. Students engaged with an online resource to identify and classify simple machines in various environments, promoting active participation and deep thinking. The author suggests that future lessons could benefit from each student having individual access to technology for a more interactive experience.

1. Technology-Enhanced Lesson Learning about Simple Machines in Third Grade

2. Point of the lesson… I taught students in my third grade classroom simple machines to meet the standard in the science curriculum “ Standard 3 Objective 1c: Investigate how forces applied through simple machines affect the direction and/or amount of resulting force”

3. How it was taught… The unit was taught over the span of three days. On the first day, students watched a video to help them gain some background knowledge on simple machines. On day two, we took a tour through the school and playground to locate simple machines. It wasn’t until the third day that we really introduced the students to some technology…

4. The Technology… I hooked up my mentor teacher’s laptop to the LCD projector in the classroom. On the laptop, I had brought up the website http://edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/index.htm . On this website, the students could choose to look in various rooms of the house and see what simple machines were in each room. Questions appeared on the screen after clicking on an object, such as “what does this object do” and “what type of simple machine is it”. The students were able to review what we had learned about classifying simple machines as well as locate more simple machines that surround them on a day to day basis.

5. My Role… As we went through the lesson, I selected students to come up to the classroom and choose a room, object, and then click the answers on the website. Together the class talked about the answers and reviewed what we knew about simple machines before selecting our answers. I used a small microphone to speak into to insure that I could be heard throughout the classroom. I also directed the conversation as we discussed what we learned and found ourselves on tangents.

6. The Students’ Role The students got the opportunity to come up to the laptop, select a room, and then click on the answers after we had discussed them as a class. Not all students were able to come up and help on the laptop although most got the opportunity. I feel the learning experience would have been more beneficial to the students if they had each had a laptop or had one between just a few students and they could work together to answer the questions and work at their own pace.

7. The Lesson’s Effectiveness The students loved this website and were so excited to click on the different rooms and discover new simple machines. There were some questions that really stumped the children and caused them to think deeply about the different classifications of simple machines. I really feel that the students had a better understanding of simple machines through the use of this website. It might have been a better use of our time as a class if each student had used their own computer and I would try to reserve the school computer lab for this lesson next time.

8. Principles of Effective Technology Integration Student Use of Technology Most students had the chance to use the technology although not all of them were able to. The students were actively engaged in answering the questions on the game. 2. Technology Use is Essential The technology was the means of learning and reviewing the concepts we had been learning concerning Simply Machines.

9. Principles of Effective Technology Integration continued… 3. Focus on Learning Task Students spent little time learning how to use the computer program and spent most of their time reviewing the material as it was presented by the technology chosen. The technology allowed students to focus on Simple Machines as they appear in students’ lives. 4. Added Value Through the technology used, students were able to spend time truly learning about the concept of Simple Machines. They could see how simply machines existed in the world around them, including their homes. They were also excited to use the laptop and gain experience with it!