Name: _____________________________________

Subject: Science
Grade: 4
Date: January 25, 2016
GLO: 4-1 Students will investigate the nature of things, demonstrating purposeful action that
leads to inferences supported by observations.
4-2 Students will identify patterns and order in objects and events studied; and record
observations, using pictures, words, and charts, with guidance in the construction of charts; and
make predictions and generalizations, based on observations.
4-6 Students will demonstrate a practical understanding of wheels, gears, and levers by
constructing devices in which energy is transferred to produce motion.
Lesson 9: Levers
Time: 60 minutes
SLOs: Students will:
Carry out, with guidance, procedures that comprise a fair test
Work independently or with others to carry out the identified procedures
Engage in all parts of the task and support the efforts of others
Record observations and measurements accurately, using captioned pictures and
charts, with guidance in the construction of charts
State an inference, based on observations
4-6.7 Predict how changes in the size of a lever or the position of the fulcrum will affect the
forces and movement involved
4-6.8 Construct models of levers; and explain how levers are involved in such devices as: teetertotters, scissors, pliers, pry bars, tongs, nutcrackers, fishing rods, wheelbarrows
Instructional Objectives: Students will:
Complete the Lever Fever experiment
Key Questions:
How does the placement of a levers fulcrum affect the force needed to lift the load?
Materials:
(22) Lever Fever worksheets
Five pencil crayons per group, 30 cm ruler per group, paper clips, tape, a small paper cup, a
small rock, a cup of gravel
Preparation:
Have gravel separated into paper cups
Lesson Procedure:
1. (2 min) Have I Can statements on the board. (SLOs rewritten into I Can statements).
Hand out Lever Fever worksheet and Science duotangs. Let students know we will be
doing a lever experiment and that they have one warning while doing the experiment
before they get sent to their desks.
2. (3 min) Review with students what a lever is. What are the three parts? What does each
part do? (Lever, effort, fulcrum)
3. Experiment procedure can be found on Lever Fever worksheet. Explain to students what
they will be doing. Let students go in partners. There may be one group of three if there is
an odd number of students.
4. Strategically place groups that will not work well beside each other in different parts of the
classroom.
5. (3 min) Hand out materials to groups.
6. (30 min) Have students complete the Lever Fever experiment.
7. (5 min) Give students time to clean up materials.
8. (17 min) With the time thats left, go through the experiment and what the students found.
9. Sponge: Play lever name game with students.
Assessment:

Name: _____________________________________
Observation, discussion, lever fever worksheets

Lever Fever
1. Problem: How can we use a lever to lift a heavy load with less work? Lets figure
out the best position to place the fulcrum.
2. Materials: One 30 cm ruler, 5 pencil crayons, tape, one small rock, one cup of
gravel, a paper cup
3. Procedure:
a. Tape the pencil crayons together to use as a fulcrum and put the pencil crayon
fulcrum under the ruler at the 15 cm mark.
b. Tape the small rock to the 2 cm mark of the ruler.
c. Place loops of tape on the bottom of the cup to secure it to the 28 cm mark on
the ruler.
d. Predict how many pieces of gravel it will take to lift the rock end of the ruler off
the ground or desk and write down your answer.
e. Drop the gravel, one at a time, into the cup, counting each one. Stop when the
rock stays up and the cup is down.
f. Record the number of pieces of gravel used.
g. Remove the gravel from the cup.
h. Move the fulcrum to 10, 8, and 6 cm marks. Repeat the experiment for each
mark.
i. Record the results in the chart below:
Number of Paper Clips Needed to Lift the Load
Fulcrum
Prediction
Actual Count

At 15 cm

At 10 cm

At 8 cm

At 6 cm

4. Conclusions:
a. What was the fulcrum? ________________________________________________
b. What was the load, or object to be lifted? _________________________________
5. Where did the force come from to lift the load? ________________________________
6. How does the placement of a levers fulcrum affect the force needed to lift the
load?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________

7. Diagram: