Levers, mechanical advantage and disadvantage
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can draw and label the different components of a lever system and describe mechanical advantage and disadvantage.
Key learning points
- In our bodies, levers are made from bones, joints and muscles working together.
- A lever consists of a fulcrum (joint), the effort (muscle creating the movement) and the load (weight or resistance).
- There are three lever systems in the human body.
- A lever can operate with both mechanical advanatge or mechanical disadvantage,
Keywords
Lever - a lever arm (bone) that rotates or pivots around a fixed point (fulcrum) when a force (effort) is applied to move a resistance (load)
Fulcrum - the fixed point around which a lever pivots or rotates
Effort - the force applied to a lever to move a load
Load - the resistance that a lever is designed to move
Mechanical advantage - 2nd class levers allow a large load to be moved with a relatively small amount of muscular effort
Common misconception
When drawing levers, the body part needs to be included.
A lever will always be drawn using four shapes.
Teacher tip
Introduce the shapes earlier and have them on a Post-it note (1 per shape) ready for the pupils to move them around.
Equipment
Post-it notes, mini whiteboards.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where in the body would you find a hinge joint?
Q2.Which one of the following bones articulates at the elbow joint?
Q3.Match the bones to the correct location in the body.
scapula and humerus
humerus, radius and ulna
pelvis and femur
femur and tibia
Q4.Which movement causes the angle at a joint to decrease?
Q5.The shoulder is an example of a ball and socket joint. Where else in the body would you find a ball and socket joint?
Q6.Name the muscle in the back of the lower leg in this image.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The seesaw is an example of which lever system?
Q2.Match the shape to the correct component of a lever.
horizontal line
triangle
square
arrow
Q3.Which lever component would be in the middle of a third class lever system?
Q4.Which image demonstrates a 3rd class lever system?
Q5.The load is positioned in the middle of which lever system?
Q6.In a second class lever, the effort arm is shorter than the load arm and therefore at a mechanical ...
To help you plan your 10 physical education lesson on: Levers, mechanical advantage and disadvantage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 physical education lesson on: Levers, mechanical advantage and disadvantage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 physical education lessons from the Movement analysis and basic biomechanics unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.