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Click, Click: The Ratchet in a Socket Wrench

5th grade nonfiction passage about how a ratchet works: 228 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction how a ratchet works 228 words

Click, Click: The Ratchet in a Socket Wrench

Anyone who has tightened a bolt with an ordinary wrench knows the problem. You turn the wrench a little, lift it off, put it back, and turn again. It is slow work. A socket wrench with a ratchet solves the problem, and you can hear it working: click, click, click.

Inside the head of the tool is a gear wheel with slanted teeth. A small spring-loaded catch called a pawl rests against those teeth. When you turn the handle one way, the pawl locks into a tooth and the gear turns the socket, which grips the bolt. The bolt tightens.

Now swing the handle back. The pawl does not lock this time. The slanted teeth push the pawl aside, and it clicks over each tooth as the handle moves. The socket stays where it is, so the bolt does not loosen. Then you swing forward again and the pawl catches. You never have to lift the tool off the bolt.

Many ratchets have a small switch that flips the pawl to the other side. That lets the same tool loosen a bolt instead of tightening it. The idea of a part that moves one way but not the other appears in many places, from bicycle hubs to tie-down straps and some clocks.

The clicking is simply the sound of the pawl hopping from tooth to tooth.

Questions

  1. What is the part called that rests against the teeth of the gear? in the text

  2. What happens when you turn the handle forward? in the text

  3. What causes the clicking sound? in the text

  4. What does the small switch on many ratchets do? in the text

  5. Why does the bolt not loosen when you swing the handle back? think about it

  6. Why is a ratchet faster than an ordinary wrench? think about it

Words to know

ratchet
a tool part that turns one way but not the other
pawl
a small catch that locks into a gear's teeth
socket
a hollow part that fits over a bolt
loosen
to make something less tight
tighten
to make something more tight
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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 · 210 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3

Try tightening a bolt with an ordinary wrench. You turn it a little. You lift it off. You put it back. You turn again. It is slow work. A socket wrench with a ratchet fixes this. You can hear it work: click, click, click.

Inside the head of the tool is a gear wheel with slanted teeth. A small catch called a pawl rests on the teeth. A spring presses it there. Turn the handle one way. The pawl locks into a tooth. The gear turns the socket, and the socket grips the bolt. The bolt gets tighter.

Now swing the handle back. This time the pawl does not lock. The slanted teeth push it aside. It clicks over each tooth as the handle moves. The socket stays put, so the bolt does not loosen. Then you swing forward and the pawl catches again. You never lift the tool off the bolt.

Many ratchets have a small switch. It flips the pawl to the other side. Then the same tool can loosen a bolt. A part that moves one way but not the other shows up in many places. Bicycle hubs and tie-down straps use it.

The click is the sound of the pawl hopping from tooth to tooth.

▲ This passage · 228 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6

Anyone who has tightened a bolt with an ordinary wrench knows the problem. You turn the wrench a little, lift it off, put it back, and turn again. It is slow work. A socket wrench with a ratchet solves the problem, and you can hear it working: click, click, click.

Inside the head of the tool is a gear wheel with slanted teeth. A small spring-loaded catch called a pawl rests against those teeth. When you turn the handle one way, the pawl locks into a tooth and the gear turns the socket, which grips the bolt. The bolt tightens.

Now swing the handle back. The pawl does not lock this time. The slanted teeth push the pawl aside, and it clicks over each tooth as the handle moves. The socket stays where it is, so the bolt does not loosen. Then you swing forward again and the pawl catches. You never have to lift the tool off the bolt.

Many ratchets have a small switch that flips the pawl to the other side. That lets the same tool loosen a bolt instead of tightening it. The idea of a part that moves one way but not the other appears in many places, from bicycle hubs to tie-down straps and some clocks.

The clicking is simply the sound of the pawl hopping from tooth to tooth.

■ Harder · 237 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7

Anyone who has tried tightening a bolt with an ordinary wrench understands the frustration. You turn the wrench a little, lift it off, set it back, and turn again, which is painfully slow. A socket wrench with a ratchet eliminates the problem, and you can actually hear it working: click, click, click.

Inside the head of the tool is a gear wheel with slanted teeth. A small spring-loaded catch called a pawl rests against those teeth. When you turn the handle in one direction, the pawl locks into a tooth and the gear rotates the socket, which grips the bolt. As a result, the bolt tightens.

Now swing the handle backward. On this stroke the pawl does not lock. The slanted teeth shove it aside, and it clicks over each tooth as the handle moves. The socket remains where it is, so the bolt does not loosen. Then you swing forward again and the pawl catches once more. You never have to lift the tool off the bolt.

Many ratchets feature a small switch that flips the pawl to the opposite side, allowing the same tool to loosen a bolt instead of tightening it. The principle of a part that moves in one direction but not the other appears in numerous places, from bicycle hubs to tie-down straps and some clocks.

The clicking is simply the sound of the pawl hopping from tooth to tooth.

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 ratchet, pawl, socket, loosen and tighten 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 5 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 "Click, Click: The Ratchet in a Socket Wrench"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 228 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.6. 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. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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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