American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Wheels for Work and Play

Wheels for Work and Play

Details

Author
Julie Fallon
Topic/Subject Area
Industry, Occupation, Work; Science, Technology; Social Activities, Entertainment, Recreation; Transportation, Travel, Tourism
Historical Era
Rise of Industrial America, 1878–1899, Progressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2007
Last Revision Date
2024

Related items

About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

The children will understand that the wheel is a Simple Machine that has impacted our ability to work and play. After studying photos from the collection, the students will consider how the wheel changed and improved people’s lives.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items

Teaching Plan

  1. During a unit on Simple Machines the teacher will distribute the photos to pairs of children in the classroom.
  2. Each pair will be directed to study the photos carefully and then decide if the wheel or wheels in the photo are used for work or play, and how they make work or play easier.
  3. Next the students will be directed to observe the wheels in each picture considering how the object depends on the wheels to work.
  4. Each partner will then choose a photo to focus on. They will be directed to imagine that they are a person in one of the photos. If they were to add speech bubbles to the picture, what might the people be saying about how the wheels make work easier?
  5. The teacher will then print out an enlarged copy of the photos children wish to use for the activity. The children will create the speech bubbles and add the text to each enlargement.
  6. All photos with text will be collected and a bulletin board created for all to enjoy entitled “Wheels for Work and Play.”