UNCORRECTED GALLEY
NOT FOR RESALE
WEDGES MAKE A POINT
SIMPLE MACHINES FOR KIDS
Andi Diehn Illustrated by Micah Rauch
PICTURE BOOK SCIENCE
Thank you for previewing a new book coming in Fall 2023 from Nomad Press!
Our newest set of Picture Book Science books features simple machines—screws, pulleys, wedges, inclined planes, levers, and wheels and axles!
Kids ages 5 to 8 love learning about simple machines, including the physics and history behind them. Did Archimedes really move an entire ship by himself using only a pulley? Were the pyramids made with the help of ramps? And how do all of these deceptively simple devices work, anyway?
Hilarious illustrations featuring a diverse cast of characters (and their pets) make learning accessible and fun. Plus, every book in the set includes a hands-on activity designed to encourage all types of learners. Photographs of simple machines in action and a glossary round out the reading experience to create a full experiential learning adventure that aligns with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards!
And every book from Nomad Press is paired with a free Classroom Guide, downloadable from our website, nomadpress.net/the-learning-center.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Andi DiehnPub date: November 2023
Softcover: 9781647411060, $13.95
Hardcover: 9781647411039, $20.95
eBook: all formats available, $6.99
Specs: 9.5 x 9.5, 32 pages, color interior
Reading Level: Ages 5–9
Interest Level: Grades K–4
GRL: M
Bisac: JU VENILE NONFICTION / Technology / How Things Work - Are Made
OTHER BOOKS IN THE PICTURE BOOK SCIENCE: SIMPLE MACHINES SET!
WEDGES MAKE A POINT
SIMPLE MACHINES FOR KIDS
Andi Diehn Illustrated by Micah Rauch
EXPLORE THE BIOMES IN THIS PICTURE BOOK SCIENCE SET!
Nomad Press
Copyright © 2023 by Nomad Press. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review or for limited educational use. The trademark “Nomad Press” and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc. This book was manufactured by CGB Printers, North Mankato, Minnesota, United States
November 2023, Job #000000
ISBN Softcover: 978-1-64741-106-0
ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-64741-103-9
Educational Consultant, Marla Conn
Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to Nomad Press
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Dogs might listen when you tell them to “Stay!”
But doors? They just don’t listen.
To get a door to stay, wedge a wedge against the door and rely on friction!
Ice cream might be easy to scoop with a spoon, But not chicken nuggets!
For that, you’ll need a wedge—a knife!
Poem 1
Have you ever tried to keep a door open by placing a bowling ball in front of it?
Did it work?
2
NOT! 3
Probably
Bowling balls are heavy, but they roll . Your door would SLAM SHUT!
What you need is a simple machine. A WED GE!
4
All simple machines work because they give you mechanical advantage.
A mechanical advantage makes your pushing and pulling force much more powerful than when you use only your own muscles.
5
A wedge is a device shaped like a triangle that has a THICK EDGE and a THIN EDGE.
You can use wedges to hold things in place.
A wedge works perfectly to hold a door open! This kind of wedge is called a doorstop.
6
You can also use wedges to BREAK things apart .
An ax is a wedge that you use to split wood. A shovel is a wedge that lets you dig and move soil.
7
How does a wedge work?
8
All simple machines change the DIRECTION or the STRENGTH of a force.
A wedge transfers force from one side of its shape to the other.
9
Picture the doorstop. The THIN EDGE of the wedge goes under the door.
The BOTTOM of the doorstop is against the floor.
When force from the door PUSHES on the doorstop, that force is moved to the side on the floor.
10
Rub your hands together. What do you feel? That heat between your hands comes from friction! When two surfaces move against each other, that creates friction.
Friction keeps the doorstop from sliding.
11
12
A larger form of a doorstop, called a wheel stop, can be stuck under the wheel of a truck to keep that truck from rolling away .
13
The friction of the wheel stop against the ground keeps it from moving.
Doorstops and wheelstops are wedges that keep THINGS TOGETHER.
These are single wedges.
That means they are shaped like triangles with a SHORT side, a SLANTEDside, and a STRAIGHT side.
14
Sometimes, people think of a wedge as a moveable inclined plane. An inclined plane is another kind of simple machine. A ramp is an inclined plane.
15
A double wedge is two single wedges put together.
Double wedges have a SHORT side and two SLANTEDsides that come together—no straight sides.
16
Can you imagine the head of an ax?
That’s a double wedge!
Double wedges are great for breaking things apart instead of holding things together.
17
Would you cut your steak with a spoon? NO!
Instead, we use knives to cut steak and other foods. And guess what?
A knife is another kind of wedge!
18
Look at a knife. Be careful!
Ask an adult for help!
What do you notice?
One side is THIN AND SHARP, and the other side is THICK AND BLUNT.
That’s a wedge!
19
When you push a knife into a piece of steak, that thin part is cutting just a TINY SLIVER.
But as the knife MOVES THROUGH the food, that sliver gets BIGGER and BIGGER.
20
You are putting force on the wedge by pushing down on the knife.
That force is squeezing out against the steak and pushing it away from the knife on both sides.
And then—you’ve got a small bite, easy to fit in your mouth!
21
Wedges have been used for many thousands of years.
22
The earliest wedges were probably axes made of stone.
Ancient people chipped away at rocks and formed a triangle shape that they could then use to cut up meat or split wood. Later, people got the idea to add a handle to make the ax easier to use.
23
Ancient Egyptians used wedges to cut stones for monuments, temples, and even the great pyramids!
24
Some of the wedges they used were wooden ones.
Ancient Egyptians stuck wooden wedges into holes in the stone and then poured water over them.
The
WEDGES
GREW as they soaked up the water, and the stone broke apart .
25
Some wedges do two jobs—they can push things apart and pull things together. Screws and staples have wedges that can do both!
What other kinds of wedges can you think of?
Scissors
Nai l
Teeth Staples
Pushpins
26
Look around your house, school, and neighborhood.
Where else can you find wedges?
What jobs are they doing?
27
Activity Time!
Cut It Out!
What You Need
plastic knife - playdough
What You Do
• Roll your playdough into a ball and set it on the table.
• Try to cut it in half using a flat hand. What happens?
• Try cutting it in half using the side of your hand. Are you able to cut it?
• Try cutting it using the plastic knife. Is this easier?
What happened?
Which tool (flat hand, side of hand, or knife) worked better? Why?
CAUTION
Always have an adult help with knives!
28
double wedge: a wedge that has two sides slanting toward each other, coming together in a point.
force: a push or pull that changes an object’s motion.
friction: a force that slows down objects when they rub against each other.
inclined plane: a flat surface with one end raised higher than the other.
mechanical advantage: the amount a machine increases or changes a force to make a task easier.
simple machine: a device that changes the direction or strength of a force.
single wedge: a wedge that has two sides that make a 90-degree angle, with one side sloping between them to form a point.
wedge: a simple machine that is thick at one end and narrows to a thin edge at the other.
Glossary
29
SIMPLE MACHINES
Pulley Screw Wheel
Incline Plane Wedge Lever
30
CHILDREN’S NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK
AGES: 5–8 • GUIDED READING LEVEL: M
How do you keep a truck from rolling? A door from closing? And how do you cut through banana bread?
All of these questions have the same answer—a wedge! Wedges are one of the simple machines that help make work easier by using mechanical advantage.
In Wedges Make a Point: Simple Machines for Kids, young engineers learn how a wedge’s shape makes it perfect at stopping something heavy from moving, and separating material to split something—like banana bread—apart.
A poem, glossary, and hands-on activity make for a fun and experiential reading experience!
Praise for Forces by Andi Diehn
“Children, parents, and teachers alike can enjoy learning the charming, often funny, relatable, and accessible science within this Picture Book Science series offering.”
—Booklist Starred Review
focus on science
Wedges Make a Point is part of a six-book set in the Picture Book Science series, designed to introduce young engineers to physical science concepts.