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Cyberchase . For Parents & Teachers . About the Show . Episode Descriptions | PBS Kids
| Builders' Math: Algebraic Thinking |
| When you need to lift a weight too heavy to lift by yourself, use a lever and follow a surprising rule: Multiply the length of your lever and you will similarly multiply the weight you can lift! |
| Algebra |
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On the prowl for a new power source, Hacker descends on Frogsnorts School of Sorcery. His scheme? To steal Professor Stumblesnore's wand and harness its awesome magic to energize himself. Hacker's first task is to get star student Shari Spotter out of his way. He entraps Shari in Merlin's Maze by blocking her path with a series of heavy stone slabs. The CyberSquad learns of Shari's plight, but the slabs that block her escape are too heavy to move unaided. In their rescue mission, the kids experiment with levers and discover a proportional rule: Multiply the length of your lever and you will similarly multiply the weight you can lift. They free Shari, but not in time: Hacker has been successful and stolen Stumblesnore's magic! Is Shari's magic powerful enough to defeat him? |
Bianca's Ups and Downs
While playing on a seesaw with her niece, Bianca learns that the seesaw is a machine consisting of a lever and fulcrum, which allows a light person to lift a heavier person up in the air. Later, when Bianca gets a job cleaning up the park, she encounters a heavy stone that she can't move. Remembering the seesaw, she gets the idea to use a broom as a lever, and is able to lift the heavy stone with ease. In another flash of inspiration, she starts a contest, challenging kids in the park with a sign that reads "If you can't lift this rock, you win a prize!"
Math Message: When you need to lift something heavy, put one end of a lever under it with the fulcrum close to it and push down on the other end to lift it up.
(RealPlayer Plugin Required) |
| Tips for Parents & Caregivers (PDF)
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Leave It to Levers
For the Facilitator (PDF)
For Kids (PDF)
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