Unit of Inquiry Two: How We Organize Ourselves

My Summative
Task Machine
Booklet

Name: _____________________________
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UOI Two: How We Organize Ourselves

Summative Task Instructions

Central Idea: Machines make a difference in our lives.

Guiding questions:
1. What are simple machines? (FORM)
2. How do machines work? (FUNCTION)
3. How have machines changed our world? (CHANGE)
Your task is to design a machine that would:
a) Pop a balloon.
b) Lift a bucket.
c) Ring a bell.
d) Push a ball into a hole.
e) Another job you would like your machine to do. It must be approved by your
teacher.
Criteria:
You must design a machine using 2 or more simple machines.
You must write step-by-step instructions on how your machine works.
You must create an iMovie presentation to show and verbally explain the
parts of your machine and how your machine works.

Research
This week, you will be creating your own machine made with simple machines and other recycled materials.
Before you start making it, you must first do some research and come up with a plan!
Watch the videos about student created compound machines on SeeSaw for some ideas. What machines did
you see today that gave you ideas about what you would like to build?

Name of Machine: ____________________________________________

Draw a picture of the machine and label the simple machines that you see in it:

Name of Machine: ____________________________________________

Draw a picture of the machine and label the simple machines that you see in it:

Plan
Circle what your machine will do. My machine will
pop a balloon

lift a bucket

ring a bell

other_______________________
Draw a rough sketch of your machine. Label the simple machines in it:

push a ball into a hole

Materials
1. Write down the materials that you will need to build your machine. You may look at the
materials box below for some ideas of what you might need.
2. Take a picture of your sketch and your materials list. Post it on SeeSaw in your UOI
folder to share with your parents today.
3. For homework, tell your parents what materials you will need. Bring in the materials to
school as soon as you can so you can start working on building your machine. (No later
than Tuesday November 1st)

Materials I will need:

Material Ideas:

______________________________________

Masking tape

Balloon

______________________________________

String

Bell

______________________________________

Wheel

Toy car

______________________________________

Cardboard

Plastic cup

______________________________________

Ball
Jenga Blocks

Toilet paper rolls

______________________________________

Aluminum foil

Toothpicks

______________________________________

Small bucket

Straws

______________________________________

Spoon

Lego pieces

______________________________________

Fork

Binder Clips

Glue gun with glue

Paper Clips

Stick

Books

Popsicle sticks

Funnel

Rubber bands

Dominoes

______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

Plastic Spool
Simple machines you made at
Engineering for Kids

Your teachers approval: _____________________

Procedural Writing - Literacy

Write How-to instructions explaining how your machine will work. Remember to:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Use capital letters at the start of each word in your title

Use capital letters at the start of each sentence
Use full stops
Use full sentences
Use transition words
Use commas after transition words
Use adjectives and adverbs
Use words from the word bank
Print neatly

Word Bank:
machine

lever

screw

incline plane

pull

fulcrum

simple

wedge

wheel

ramp

force

hold

compound

pulley

axle

push

load

move

first

then

next

finally

second

third

Title: ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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Literacy Machine Procedural Writing Rubric

I need extra
practice.
Capitalization

Im almost there. I am able to do it.

I struggled to put capitals at the start

of each sentence.

I sometimes put capitals at the

start of each sentence.

I put capitals at the beginning of

my sentences.

I rarely put capitals in proper nouns.

I sometimes put capitals in

proper nouns.

I put capitals on proper nouns.

I struggled to put capital letters in my

title.
I had difficulty remembering not to
capitalize words that do not need to
be capitalized.

I put capital letters in some of

the words of my title.
I sometimes remembered not to
capitalize words that do not
need to be capitalized.

I put capital letters in the words

of my title.
I remembered not to capitalize
words that do not need to be
capitalized.

I struggled to put full stops at the end I sometimes put full stops at the
of my sentences.
end of my sentences.

I put full stops at the end of my

sentences.

I struggled to put commas after

transition words.

I sometimes put commas after

transition words.

I put commas after transition

words.

I struggled to write complete

sentences.

I sometimes wrote complete

sentences.

I wrote complete sentences.

I had many run on sentences.

I had a few run on sentences.

I had difficulty using parts of speech

(nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives) to
add detail to my writing.

I used some parts of speech

(nouns, verbs, adverbs,
adjectives) to add detail to my
writing.

Appearance

I struggled to print neatly to the best

of my ability.

I somewhat printed neatly to

the best of my ability.

I printed neatly to the best of

my ability.

Vocabulary

I struggled to use transition words.

I sometimes used transition

words.

I used transition words.

Organization

I struggled to write my instructions in Some of my instructions were in

order.
order. Some of my instructions
were out of order.

Punctuation

Sentence
Structure

I have no run on sentences.

I used a variety parts of speech
(nouns, verbs, adverbs,
adjectives) to add detail to my
writing.

I wrote my instructions in order.

Comments:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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UOI Guiding Questions

1. a) What simple machines did you use in your machine?
___________________________________________________________________
b) What simple machines did you NOT use in your machine?
_________________________________________________________________________
2 a) From the simple machines that you used, explain how each one works (*hint:
remember to use simple machine verbs):
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b) Choose a compound machine and explain how it works:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1. Choose and checkmark one of the machines below:

Refrigerator
Fire truck
Photocopier
Airplane
Car

Explain how this machine has changed our world:

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Can you think of another machine not listed above and explain how it has changed our world?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Unit of Inquiry: How We Organize Ourselves

Rubric Checklist
Key Concepts:

I need extra
practice.

Im almost
there.

I get it.

I can extend my
understanding.

Form:
I was able to
identify simple
machines.
Function:
I understand
how machines
work.
Change:
I understand
how machines
have changed
our world.

Comments:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

iMovie Video Checklist

Now that you have created an amazing machine, its time to share your learning.
Using iMovie, create a video that shows how your machine works.
In your video you must:
o

Show your machine in action

Tell your audience how the machine works in step-by-step order.

Tell the audience which simple machines are in your machine.

Speak clearly so we can hear you.

Put a title on your video.

Put your name on your video.

Use key words from our unit.

Unit of Inquiry Key Words:

machine
simple
compound
first

lever
wedge
pulley
then

screw
wheel
axle
next

incline plane
ramp
push
finally

10

pull
force
load
second

fulcrum
hold
move
third

Literacy Oral Communication

Checklist for iMovie Video
Expectations:

I need extra
practice.

Im almost
there.

I get it.

I can extend my
understanding.

I was able to speak

clearly at an
understandable
pace.

I was able to use

unit related
vocabulary.

I was able to speak

in complete
sentences.

I was able to say my

instructions in the
proper order.

Comments:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

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