Bicycles, Then and Now

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Anis Wade
7 years ago
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1 U N I T 1 W E E K 4 Read the article Bicycles, Then and Now before answering Numbers 1 through 10. Bicycles, Then and Now Today s balance bikes for children look remarkably like an early model by Baron Karl von Drais Sauerbrun. Bicycles began with this German inventor. A biography of him reveals that he also worked on an early version of the typewriter. The bicycle-like contraption he made in 1817 had two wheels and was made of wood. It had a seat but no pedals. To move, the rider had to use his legs to push the machine forward. It weighed about 50 pounds! It must have been like riding a very heavy scooter. Drais exhibited his running machine in 1818 and was given a patent for it the same year. In Germany, it was called the Draisine. In France, it became the Draisienne, and in England, it was called a hobby horse. For a number of reasons, this early bicycle was popular only a short time. Riders boots wore out too quickly. It was hard to steer. The roads were often rutted at this time in history, and it was difficult to balance on the machine. Riders who decided to use sidewalks instead were crashing into pedestrians and causing injuries. The history of bicycles shows the chronological order of events as inventors kept improving the design. A Scottish blacksmith named Kirkpatrick Macmillan is believed to have invented the pedal for a bike in In the 1860s, the velocipede, which means fast feet, came along. It had pedals, wooden wheels, and an iron frame. In England, it had two wheels and was known as the Boneshaker Weekly Assessment Unit 1, Week 4 Grade 5 37

U N I T 1 W E E K 4 because of the rough rides people experienced. Nevertheless, twowheel bikes became popular. One was designed with a large front wheel and a small back wheel.

2 U N I T 1 W E E K 4 because of the rough rides people experienced. Nevertheless, twowheel bikes became popular. One was designed with a large front wheel and a small back wheel. It was also lighter than earlier bicycles. A British bicycle maker named James Starley made improvements in both the bicycle and the tricycle, a three-wheeled bicycle. His nephew John Kemp Starley worked for him, and the younger man, who had mechanical skills, built the Rover in It is often described as the first modern bicycle. It had two 26-inch wheels, ball bearings, tires, and a chain drive. The chain drive had been used before but not on bicycles. It is a chain that moves power from one place to another. On bicycles, it distributes power between the two wheels. In the United States, bicycles were produced at record rates in the late 1800s. The spectacular growth led to more inventions. During the 1900s, rubber wheels filled with air replaced the wooden wheels. Other improvements followed, including the invention of two-speed and three-speed bicycles. Then the market for bicycles decreased. Cars and motorcycles became a more important way to get around. As a result, in the 1920s through the 1950s, children were the primary market for bicycle manufacturers. Then in the 1960s and 1970s, people were interested in fitness and the environment. The industry began growing again. Some bikes were made especially for racing, and others for rough, mountainous land. The most recent bicycle development is balance bikes. These are amazingly similar to Baron Karl von Draise Sauerbrun s Draisine. Sometimes balance bikes are called push bikes or run bikes. Like the Draisine, they have no pedals. Children start by walking the bike and pushing it along. Then they can start gliding. As young children gain confidence, they can move on to bikes with pedals. 38 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment Unit 1, Week 4

3 Now answer Numbers 1 through 10. Base your answers on Bicycles, Then and Now. 1 How does the author help the reader understand the history of bicycles from the Draisine to the balance bike? a by explaining the problems with the Draisine b by comparing the Draisine and the Boneshaker c by telling why fewer people rode bikes in the 1920s d by explaining in time order the different improvements made 2 Read the following sentence from the article. A biography of him reveals that he also worked on an early version of the typewriter. The word biography comes from two Greek roots, bio and graph. Bio means life. Graph can mean write. What does biography mean? f an old story g a story with photographs h a story about a person s life i a story told in two sections or parts 3 How does the author explain why one bicycle was called the Boneshaker? a by describing its parts b by saying people got rough rides c by explaining why it became popular d by naming the country where it was popular Weekly Assessment Unit 1, Week 4 Grade 5 39

4 4 How does the author help the reader understand that bicycles improved through the years? f by comparing different bicycles g by telling the sequence of improvements h by contrasting the Draisine and balance bikes i by explaining what caused people to start using cars 5 At the beginning of the article, why does the author describe Baron Karl von Drais Sauerbrun s invention? a to describe an unusual invention b to tell about the life of the inventor c to show that the fi rst bikes were the best d to introduce the sequence of bicycles from then to now 6 Read this sentence from the article. The history of bicycles shows the chronological order of events as inventors kept improving the design. The root of chronological is chron, meaning time. So chronological order is in order of f importance. g interest. 7 Read this sentence from the article. h when things happen. i why things happen. For a number of reasons, this early bicycle was popular only a short time. The origin of the word cycle is the Greek root cycl, meaning circle. This tells you that a bicycle has two a frames. b pedals. c wheels. d chain drives. 40 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment Unit 1, Week 4

5 8 Read this sentence from the article. His nephew John Kemp Starley worked for him, and the younger man, who had mechanical skills, built the Rover in The origin of mechanical is the Greek word mekhane, meaning having to do with tools. Which of the following words is most likely to also come from that Greek word? f chain g echo h machine i use 9 How does the author organize the second paragraph from the end of page 38? a by comparing bicycles to motorcycles b by explaining why the market for bicycles changed c by comparing modern bicycles to those in the past d by explaining why cars and motorcycles became popular 10 What word from the article means to guide and is also a word that means a male cow? f frame g model h pedal i steer Weekly Assessment Unit 1, Week 4 Grade 5 41

Teacher s notes. Classroom lessons about cycling. Crazy bikes. www.cycletraining.co.uk

Teacher s notes. Classroom lessons about cycling. Crazy bikes. www.cycletraining.co.uk Teacher s notes Classroom lessons about cycling Teacher s notes Years 4 6 Aims Pupils will have a positive attitude to cycling understand the design development of the bicycle understand the connection