Animated diagrams of 18 simple mechanisms.  Included are cams, levers, gears and ratchets.  Easy to read text provides information about the way each mechanism works.

Investigate and Report on Simple Machines

Dirtmeister’s Science Reporters from Scholastic: What are simple machines and where can you find them? Simple machines help you move things more easily, and you can find them everywhere! Investigate the facts, observe, and record.

Invention At Play

Here's a site that lets you play, explore and invent.  There are sections about Exploration/tinkering, Make believe/visual thinking, Social play/collaboration, and Puzzle play/problem solving.  There is also infromation about inventors.

Leonardo da Vinci was a famous painter, scientist, and inventor. Visit the Inventor's Workshop to explore some of his ideas.  Play Leonardo's Mysterious Machinery: look at the diagram and try to identify the simple machines invented by daVinci.

Simple Machines

 Inventor’s Toolbox.  The Elements of Machines.  These devices were all in common use for centuries before Leonardo's time. Each one makes work easier to do by providing some trade-off between the force applied and the distance over which the force is applied.   Use Gadget Anatomy to quiz yourself to see how well you understand simple machines.