Long before modern engineers designed bridges, ships, cranes, pumps, and machines, there lived a man who seemed capable of solving almost any problem placed before him. His name was Archimedes, and he lived in the Greek city of Syracuse during the third century B.C. Kings, generals, builders, and sailors all turned to him when they faced challenges that seemed impossible. Whether a crown needed to be tested for fraud, a giant ship needed to stay afloat, or a city needed to defend itself from attack, Archimedes was the person people called for help.
In this unit, students step into Archimedes’ world and encounter those same challenges for themselves. They will investigate the famous mystery of King Hiero’s crown and discover how careful observation led Archimedes to surprising insights. They will experiment with floating and sinking, design boats capable of carrying cargo, and explore the principles that allowed enormous ships to travel safely across the sea. Along the way, they will build working models of some of Archimedes’ most famous inventions and investigate the simple machines that continue to shape our world today.
This is a unit filled with hands-on engineering. Students will design boats, build an Archimedes’ screw, experiment with pulleys and levers, construct catapults, and test their own ideas through trial and error. They will start with observations and questions, using the scientific method—Ask, Guess, Test, Learn—to discover important principles for themselves. As they redesign, improve, and retest their creations, they will experience the same process of investigation that made Archimedes one of history’s greatest problem-solvers.
Schedule
There are six lessons in this unit. Lessons can usually be completed in 45–90 minutes, depending on how much time you spend testing, redesigning, and extending the projects. The boat, pulley, and catapult challenges (Lessons 2, 4, and 6) in particular may become longer projects because kids naturally want to improve their designs and try additional experiments.
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- Archimedes’ Crown
- Archimedes’ Ship
- Archimedes’ Screw
- Archimedes’ Pulley
- Archimedes’ Lever
- Archimedes’ Catapult
Materials Needed
This curriculum works best with The Laboratory: Apprentice Journal (available on Amazon here). Each lesson includes instructions to record observations and test results in that journal.
All lessons involve projects. Most materials needed for these projects are common household items. The following are less common items you will need.
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- 5-gallon bucket
- Broom
- Measuring tape
- Moving box
- Plastic tubing (approx. 2–3 feet, optional)
- Playdough
- Popsicle sticks
- Pulley wheel (optional but helpful)
- PVC pipe, 1-foot section (optional)
- Rope
- Sidewalk chalk
- Video camera or smartphone with slow-motion video capability
- Wood board, like a 2×2, 2×3, or 2×4 (approx. 4 feet in length)
- Yardstick (or similar object)
The Lessons
Click on a lesson below to get started.