

invention
[ɪnˈvenʃn]slide
[slaɪd]seesaw
[ˈsiː sɔː , ˈsiːsɔː]*watch
[wɒtʃ]lever
[ˈliːvə(r)]wheel
[wiːl]simple
[ˈsɪmpl]machine
[məˈʃiːn]basic
[ˈbeɪsɪk]everyday
[ˈevrideɪ]*playground
[ˈpleɪɡraʊnd]point
[pɔɪnt]truck
[trʌk]inside
[ˌɪnˈsaɪd]tiny
[ˈtaɪni]ramp
[ræmp]wheelchair
[ˈwiːltʃeə(r)]*hill
[hɪl]nature
[ˈneɪtʃə(r)]board
[bɔːd]push down
[pʊʃ daʊn]Explore
Simple machines in our daily lives
What are simple machines?
They are the most basic inventions.
They make our lives easier, and we use them every day.
The lever
Many everyday inventions are levers.
A bottle opener is a lever.
A seesaw is also a lever.
When you ride on a seesaw in the playground, you are using a lever.
In the picture, a boy sits down on one side, and his friend on the other side goes up.
The wheel
We use wheels every day on cars, trucks and bicycles.
Inside an old clock or watch, you can also see tiny wheels.
The ramp
A ramp has one high end and one low end.
A slide is a ramp.
On it, you can go from a high place to a low place quickly.
Things can move up and down more easily on a ramp.
People in wheelchairs use ramps to go into and out of buildings.
Hills and mountains are ramps in nature.
Extend
Lu Ban and the saw
Lu Ban was a famous inventor in ancient China.
He invented a lot of useful tools.
One day, when Lu Ban was at work on a mountain, a leaf cut his finger.
Lu Ban thought, "How could such a small leaf hurt my finger?"
He looked at the leaf carefully.
There were many teeth on the leaf, and the teeth were sharp.
"Could I make a tool with teeth like these?"
"It could cut things easily,"
Lu Ban said to himself.
Soon Lu Ban made a saw.
It was the first saw in the world.
People are still using it today.
Lu Ban was not the only ancient Chinese inventor.
Other ancient Chinese people invented many great things, such as cuju and paper.
Many have a great influence around the world.