Lesson 56 of 84 · Simple Machines

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Pulling a Wagon (Part 2)

🧪Lab Brief #56

Simple Machines.

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Constraints make you more creative, not less.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🛠️ The first computer bug was a literal moth stuck inside a machine in 1947.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Before you test: how many tries until it works?

What You'll Learn

A swing goes back and forth. You pump your legs to make it go higher!

Key Words

spin
turn
move

Materials Needed

cardboard
marbles
paper clips

Safety First

Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
Keep small objects away from young children.
Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Have a grown-up read about Simple Machines to you.

Step 2 — Do

Push a toy car gently, then push it hard. Which push made it go farther?

Step 3 — Observe

Look closely! What do you see?

Step 4 — Record

Draw a picture of what you learned today.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

Can a magnet pick up a penny?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

Your phone, your bike, your shoes — all designed with this idea.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Build something — anything — out of stuff in your recycling bin.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

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Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

🖨️

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