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Moving Stairs: How an Escalator Works

Read an original how-it-works article about escalators, then answer questions about their parts, the steps in order, and riding safely.

Grade 3ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.3.10

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
9 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: ELA
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students read a grade 3 technical text on their own and answer questions about its key details.
Students explain how the parts of a machine work together, in order.
Students use details from a text to sort actions that follow or break safety rules.

How to use

Let students read the article on their own and answer the questions. Afterward, ask them to explain out loud how an escalator's steps travel in a loop.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.3.10

By the end of the year, read and understand informational texts in history, science, and technical subjects at the high end of grades 2-3, independently.

Preview

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Name Date

Moving Stairs: How an Escalator Works

Read a how-it-works article about the stairs that carry you.

Read the article

Read the article carefully. Then answer the questions.

How an Escalator Works

1Have you ever ridden moving stairs in an airport, a train station, or a big store? Moving stairs like these are called escalators. An escalator carries people up or down from one floor to another. Riders just stand still and let the stairs do the work.

2The steps of an escalator are attached to a long chain that goes around in a loop, a bit like a bicycle chain. A motor, often hidden under the floor at the top, turns large gears. The gears pull the chain, and the steps move along with it. Each step also has small wheels that roll along metal tracks.

3Near the top and the bottom, something clever happens. The tracks are shaped so that the steps flatten out and line up in a row. This makes a flat, moving floor where riders can safely step on or off. After the steps reach the end, they turn upside down and travel back underneath the escalator. Then they come around again, ready for new riders.

4An escalator also has a moving handrail on each side. The handrail is a long rubber belt that moves at about the same speed as the steps. Riders hold on to it to keep their balance. At each end, a metal comb plate has teeth that fit into thin grooves on the steps. The comb plate helps keep shoes and small objects from getting caught.

5Escalators are safe when riders follow a few rules. Face forward, stand in the middle of the step, and hold the handrail. Keep loose shoelaces and long scarves away from the edges. At the end, step off right away so the people behind you have room.

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