Harpo's World
text and art by Sylvia Spain

Page 1
TEEGAN: Wow, what's this crazy contraption?
PERSIA AND AKANE: It's our latest invention!
TEEGAN: What's it supposed to do?
AKANE: Watch. You turn on the radio which wakes the squirrel.
PERSIA: The squirrel grabs the nut which pulls the rope which opens the trapdoor.
TEEGAN: I still don't get it.
AKANE: Wait, there's more. The weight lands on the teetertotter, and the ball bounces and tips the ramp. The roller skate rolls and kicks the bowling ball into the basket.
Vocabulary
Activity
- Which simple machine is used most often in this invention?
- Describe how a lever is used in this invention.
- If the lever were removed from this machine, what other parts of the machine would need to change to make the invention work?