Levers. Pulleys and Gears

In this lesson, students will learn about the basic concepts of levers, pulleys, and gears, and how they are used to make mechanical work easier. They will learn that by using these mechanisms, a smaller force can have a greater effect. The lesson will cover four main objectives:

• State that machines can make mechanical work easier.
• Explain that the longer the lever, the less effort needed to lift a load.
• Explain that adding pulleys reduces the effort required to lift a load.
• Describe the effect of a larger cog on a smaller cog.

This lesson is suitable for students in year 3 who have already been introduced to forces and magnets. The lesson plan also has cross-curricular links with design and technology, mathematics, and history. Students will make a simple lever and graph their experimental results, and learn about the history of pulleys and their usage in ancient civilizations. The lesson plan includes activities that will help students understand the concepts of effort, load, energy, fulcrum, pivot, mechanical, pulley, gears, cog, and rotation.

Influential scientists such as Archimedes, Hero of Alexandria, Franz Reuleux, and Simon Stevin will be introduced in the lesson. The teacher will need to purchase a gear set as it is not possible to make them in class. The class will participate in a demonstration to show the effort required to lift a load can be reduced by using pulleys. The lesson will also include an activity where students will learn how the classroom door functions as a lever and how the position of the fulcrum affects the effort required to move a load.

In conclusion, this lesson is a comprehensive introduction to the basics of levers, pulleys, and gears and how they can be used to make mechanical work easier. Students will learn how simple machines work and be able to apply their understanding to real-world scenarios.