6 Simple Machines

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about simple machines?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These simple machines worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These simple machines worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in forces and machines. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about simple machines accurately. Working through simple machines on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard K-2-ETS1-2. That standard sits in the kindergarten band, so treat this worksheet as an early introduction rather than standards practice for this grade. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

Lever, pulley, ramp, wheel and axle, wedge and screw, each shown as a clean diagram rather than an object. The child writes the name from a word bank.

This sheet uses diagrams, so the child names the machine in its pure form. Identify Simple Machines uses real objects like a seesaw and a faucet and asks which machine each one uses.

This one. Learning the six shapes and names from diagrams gives children something to compare real objects against. Spotting a wedge in an axe is much easier once you know what a wedge looks like.

First graders learn that simple machines are basic tools that change the direction or amount of force needed to do a job, making work easier. They identify examples of each of the six simple machines in objects they use every day, from ramps and scissors to wheels and doorknobs.

Simple machines are typically introduced in Grade 1 during a physical science or engineering unit on forces and motion. Teachers often do a school or home scavenger hunt for simple machines, turning the lesson into a fun real-world investigation.

Go on a simple machines scavenger hunt around your home and yard: look for ramps, wheels, levers, pulleys, and wedges hiding in everyday objects like door handles, scissors, and ramps on the sidewalk. Record your findings before completing the worksheet.