Drawbridge Design and Build (Grade 4)
Grade: Four
Topic: Pulleys and Gears
Design challenge: Design and build a working model of a drawbridge using pulley systems and gear systems to investigate how motion is transferred from one system to another; describe, using their observations, how rotary motion in one system (e.g., a system of pulleys of different sizes) is transferred to rotary motion in another (e.g., a system of various gears) in the same structure.
Nipissing University - (David Darling) Activity Lesson Plan - student teacher
Materials (per pair of students):
- 6 pieces of ‘jinx’ wood (30 cm X 2cm X 2 cm)
- 2 straws (20 cm)
- 2 dowels (20 cm, 1 cm diameter)
- 1 large gear (5 cm diameter)
- 1 small gear (2 cm diameter)
- 1 pulley (5 cm diameter)
- 1 wooden wheel
- Popsicle sticks (4)
- Hinge
- String (70 cm)
- Safety goggles
Tools:
- glue guns
- Hacksaws
- Mitre boxes
- Scissors
- ‘Dolphin’ cutters
- Hand drills
- C-clamps