Simple Machines Unit: Wedge Hands-On Activities
The wedge is a pretty easy concept to remember, but we still took the opportunity to have some fun with wedges!
We spent some time outside at the wood pile using real wedges to split wood (plus, we got some wood ready for the woodstove!!)
This is a tool call a “Smart Splitter.” Even the kids can split wood with it. They simply lifted the weight and dropped it down to drive the wedge into the log. Four or five drops and the log is split into two! [I highly recommend this if you need a relatively cheap log splitter! I’ve been using it almost daily because we have a wood-stove in our homeschool room.]
They also tried a traditional wedge and sledge hammer. That was much harder for the kids!
Finally, we spent some time doing soap carvings (knives are also wedges)! We hadn’t done this before, so we all have a lot of fun! This was a bit more of an “art” project than actual science, right?!
Related Posts:
Don’t miss the 30-page Simple Machines Packet I made or the other hands-on activities we did in connection with this unit: Simple Machines Packet Quick Preview You can purchase it in our store.New pages recently added!
Simple Machines Booklet: This is a booklet all about the six types of simple machines: lever, wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, pulley and screw. It also covers the three classes of levers.
Kids can trace the key words and color in the pictures. The booklet is 14 half-pages. (Directions on how to put the booklet together are provided.)
Other Hands-On Activities from Our Simple Machines Unit:
- Rocks and Minerals Packet
- Human Body Systems — This post also has links to a number of different worksheet sets I made on the digestive system, etc.
- Montessori Science — A post that links to some of the free Montessori 3-part cards I have made for the kids
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~Liesl
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