Wheels, inclined planes, and wedges don't sound that amazing, until one of them gets you out of a jam. Need to brush your teeth? Cut an apple? Open a door? That's the utility of simple machines, which are all around us. We even have them in our bodies! And while they are simple, they make easy work of many tasks. Readers and report writers will discover just how important these deceptively simple machines can be!

Desbribe what wedges are, how they work, and how they are used.

Explains how pulleys work and presents examples of their use.

Presents examples of levers used in the past and in everyday contemporary life.

On a scenic drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains to view the fall foliage, Grandma Ada and the kids decide to take an unexpected detour to Dollywood where discoveries about simple machines abound. The kids are fascinated by how levers, pulleys, wedges, inclined planes, and wheels and axles are used to help operate machinery and entertain guests at the theme park.

Explains how inclined planes are used, presenting examples from the past and in everyday contemporary life.