Activities:

1. If possible, bring a wheelbarrow to class. Select a heavy object and have students try moving it about. Then place the object in the wheelbarrow and have them move it about. Have them compare how it felt to move the object with and without the wheelbarrow.
2. Use a thick board (lever) and a brick (fulcrum) to enable a student to lift you. An ideal board is hardwood such as a leaf from an old table, but a two-by-four will work. Place the brick under the board near one end. You then stand on that end of the board. Have the student . place a foot on the other end of the board and press down. Use other students as spotters, standing close to you and the student for safety. You and the student can place your hands on the spotters' shoulders for stability.
   After the student has lifted you, move the brick closer to the center of the board. Have the student lift you again. Have the student describe how it felt to lift you each time.
   The brick can be moved to other positions and students can try to lift you again. The closer the brick is to the load being moved, the easier it is to move.
3. Have the students try cracking a nut with their hands. Ask them to describe how it feels. Provide them with nutcrackers. Have them predict where the nut should be placed for the least amount of force to be used in opening it. Have them test their hypotheses. Have them compare the effectiveness of the nutcracker and their bare hands. Point out that, unlike the board in Activity 2, the nutcracker has its fulcrum at the end.