ForceCourse Mini Pulley System
Explore the power of a pulley with a system that conveniently fits on a desk or table!
Build and experiment with 3 types of pulleys to discover how they are different during force and motion activities. The smaller size of the pulley machine system allows students to set it on a table, desktop, or floor. They will use the set to construct fixed, movable, and compound pulleys and assess how much force is needed to pull each. Through the process, they learn which pulley system requires the most force, which requires the least force, how adding additional pulleys affects the load, and more!
Individual Kit includes 1 frame (24"L x 24"W x 26-1/2"H; 4 lb 9 oz), 2 buckets, 12 beanbags (50 g ea), 2 ropes (6'L), 4 pulleys, 4 carabiners, and lesson direction that's adaptable for grades K-4 and 5-8. The included lesson direction details setup instructions, activities by grade level, learning objectives, and teaching suggestions to expand lessons.
Group Set includes double the components in the Individual Kit and lets teachers set up two stations for engaging small-group challenges. Patented. Recommended for Elementary and up.
Next Generation Science Standards*:
- K-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
- K-PS2-2: Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or pull.
- 2-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to determine how the forces of pushes and pulls can change the motion of an object.
- 2-PS2-2: Make observations to identify when a force is required to start or stop the motion of an object or to change its speed.
- 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a design problem with specific criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost that can be solved with an engineering solution.
- 3-PS2-4: Define a problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.
- MS-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests to identify the best characteristics of each design solution, combining elements to create a new optimized solution.
- MS-ETS1-4: Develop and use a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process to optimize the design.
- MS-PS2-4: Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions depend on the mass of objects and the distance between them.
- MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that electric and magnetic forces can be attractive or repulsive.
- HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on an object, its mass, and its acceleration.
*The Next Generation Science Standards are a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics*:
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.2: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1: Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real-world problems.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3: Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, such as using tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
*National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards. Washington, DC: Authors.