Saturday, March 7, 2026
Did you know that scientists recently discovered evidence suggesting pulleys were used in the construction of the Egyptian pyramids?
Join engineering students, Sophia and Francesca, and build one of the most ancient engineering inventions: a compound pulley! Explore the design of pulley systems, the physics behind these simple (but super powerful) machines, and then put them to the test! Can your pulley system build a pyramid?!
Time
Ages 7-12: 8 am PT • 9 am MT • 10 am CT • 11 am ET • 12 pm AT
Ages 13-17: 10 am PT • 11 am MT • 12 pm CT • 1 pm ET • 2 pm AT
Materials and Preparation
– 3 paper cups (ideally large, like solo cup size)
– 1 additional paper cup (any size, but ideally smaller than the other three cups)
– String (~100 cm or more)
– 5 empty paper towel tubes
– 3 straws (can be reusable or regular plastic, we will not be cutting them)
– Glue gun or craft glue
– Tape: duct tape, electrical, or masking
– Scissors
– Pen or sharpened pencil
– Cardstock or other sturdy paper (enough to cut out six circles least 10 cm x 10 cm)
Meet the Expert
Francesca Buckley
Francesca is a third-year electrical engineering and management student at McMaster University. She is Co-VP Outreach for the McMaster Women in Engineering Society. Outside of classes, Francesca works on the McMaster Formula Electric high voltage electronics team and enjoys reading and playing board games. She is passionate about inspiring other girls to pursue careers in STEM.
Sophia Kouroukis
Sophia is a third-year chemical engineering student at McMaster University. She is Co-VP of Outreach for McMaster’s Women in Engineering Society. In her free time, she loves reading and spending time outside. She is so excited to collaborate with CAGIS for this amazing activity!
This programming was developed by Francesca Buckley, Sophia Kouroukis, and Sydney Brooks.
