| Name of Activity | Simple Pulleys |
|---|---|
| Author | STOMP |
| Keywords | pulley, effort, load, Simple Machines |
| Subject | Simple Machines |
| Grade Level | K, 1, 2, 3 |
| Time | 1 Hour Total |
| Brief Description | Students will learn the basic concept of a pulley and how it is used to life weights. |
| Lesson Objectives: | – To familiarize students with pulleys. – Introduce a simple machine. |
| Materials Needed: | – LEGO Simple Machines kits. – Weight. – String. |
| Preparation and Set Up: | – Photocopy one worksheet per student. – Gather materials. – Arrange students in pairs. – Distribute materials. |
| Necessary Background | Pulleys are simple machines that allow us to lift heavier loads by increasing the distance required to lift the load (just like levers).Vocabulary: Pulley Effort Load |
| Procedure |
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| Extensions or Modifications: | – Make the pulley work by using a motor. |
| Reference 1 | http://sites.tufts.edu/stompactivitydatabase/files/formidable/pulley1.pdf |
We (Marc Bucchieri and Daniela Torres) used a version of this activity in Ms. Bowler’s classroom (Vinson Owen, 5th grade) on 10/18/13. As a intro to the lesson (simple machines were introduced in a previous lesson) we went over the force redirection achieved by a pulley and talked about some real world examples where this is a good idea. Then we highlighted some parts of the engineering design process that apply to the lesson (planning, prototyping, testing, redesigning) and asked that they make a drawing of their design before trying to implement it with legos. Students worked in groups of 4, and we brought in extra lego beams in addition to the simple machines kits. Although we only had about 45 minutes to work with, every group came up with some version of a working pulley, although only a few had cranks and none implemented a rotating pulley or used a motor. Overall the lesson worked really well in our class.