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Educator Resource: Field Trip

Hoist Engineering Challenge

The challenge…work with a team and use your engineering skills to design, test, and build a system that is capable of lifting a load (weight) up a pvc tube (shaft) using only the materials provided.
Level
Upper Elementary
Time required
~1 hour

Teams of students will utilize the Engineering Design Process to make plans for a hoist capable of lifting and lowering a load safely. As they construct their model hoists, students collaborate to make improvements to their designs. Students learn from each other as they tackle the problem of safely getting people and equipment to an underground research facility.