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Cranking Up the Well Bucket

4th grade nonfiction passage about wheel and axle cranks: 207 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

4th grade nonfiction wheel and axle cranks 207 words

Cranking Up the Well Bucket

Long ago, many families got water from a well. A full bucket is heavy, and the water can be far below the ground. Hauling the rope hand over hand would tire anyone out. So well builders added a crank.

A crank is a wheel and axle machine. The axle is a thick rod, called a barrel, that stretches across the top of the well. The rope winds around the barrel, and the bucket hangs from the rope. At one end of the barrel is a handle shaped like a bent arm. When you turn the handle, the barrel turns, and the rope winds up around it.

Here is the clever part. The handle travels around a big circle, while the barrel turns in a much smaller one. Your hand moves a long way, but the rope moves only a short way. That is the trade. You turn the handle many times, yet each turn takes only a small push. A heavy bucket feels much lighter than it would if you lifted it straight up.

You use the same idea when you turn a doorknob or the handle of a pencil sharpener. The part you hold travels in a big circle, and that makes a hard job easier.

Questions

  1. Why did well builders add a crank? in the text

  2. What is the barrel in a well crank? in the text

  3. What hangs from the rope? in the text

  4. Which travels in the bigger circle, the handle or the barrel? in the text

  5. What is the trade when you use a crank? in the text

  6. Why does a longer handle make the bucket feel lighter? think about it

Words to know

crank
a handle you turn to make something else turn
axle
the rod in the middle of a wheel that the wheel turns on
barrel
a rounded tube or drum shape
winds
wraps around something again and again
hauling
pulling something heavy with effort
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 178 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2

Long ago, many families got water from a well. A full bucket is heavy. The water can be far below the ground. Pulling the rope by hand would tire anyone out. So builders added a crank.

A crank is a wheel and axle machine. The axle is a thick rod called a barrel. It goes across the top of the well. The rope winds around the barrel. The bucket hangs from the rope. A handle on one end is shaped like a bent arm. Turn the handle, and the barrel turns. The rope winds up.

Here is the clever part. The handle goes around a big circle. The barrel turns in a much smaller one. Your hand moves a long way, but the rope moves a short way. That is the trade. You turn the handle many times, but each turn takes only a small push. The bucket feels lighter.

You use this idea when you turn a doorknob or a pencil sharpener. The part you hold goes in a big circle. That makes a hard job easier.

▲ This passage · 207 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.9

Long ago, many families got water from a well. A full bucket is heavy, and the water can be far below the ground. Hauling the rope hand over hand would tire anyone out. So well builders added a crank.

A crank is a wheel and axle machine. The axle is a thick rod, called a barrel, that stretches across the top of the well. The rope winds around the barrel, and the bucket hangs from the rope. At one end of the barrel is a handle shaped like a bent arm. When you turn the handle, the barrel turns, and the rope winds up around it.

Here is the clever part. The handle travels around a big circle, while the barrel turns in a much smaller one. Your hand moves a long way, but the rope moves only a short way. That is the trade. You turn the handle many times, yet each turn takes only a small push. A heavy bucket feels much lighter than it would if you lifted it straight up.

You use the same idea when you turn a doorknob or the handle of a pencil sharpener. The part you hold travels in a big circle, and that makes a hard job easier.

■ Harder · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3

Long ago, many families drew their water from a well. A full bucket is heavy, and the water may lie far beneath the ground, so hauling the rope hand over hand would exhaust anyone. For that reason, well builders added a crank.

A crank is a wheel and axle machine. The axle is a thick rod, called a barrel, that stretches across the top of the well. The rope winds around the barrel, and the bucket dangles from the rope. At one end of the barrel is a handle shaped like a bent arm. When you turn the handle, the barrel turns as well, and the rope winds up around it.

Here is the clever part. The handle travels around a large circle, while the barrel turns in a much smaller one. Your hand moves a long way, yet the rope moves only a short distance, and that is the trade. You must turn the handle many times, but each turn requires only a small push. A heavy bucket therefore feels far lighter than it would if you lifted it straight up.

You rely on the same idea whenever you turn a doorknob or the handle of a pencil sharpener. The part you hold travels in a big circle, and that makes a difficult job much easier.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put crank, axle, barrel, winds and hauling on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 6 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Cranking Up the Well Bucket"?

It was written for 4th grade. It has 207 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.9. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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