You need a unique and engaging Lego STEM activity? Build something unique while teaching your young engineers about single bevel gears and make a fun rotating Earth.

This would make a fun addition to a solar system or Earth science study!

We have prepared a printable lesson on bevel gears that includes thorough visual instructions for this project, along with other Lego engineering activities. For example, do you know how Lego axles and single bricks with holes are measured and named? We cover that in this Lego engineering lesson!

A gear is a simple machine that helps us transfer motion and force from one place to another.

Gears are round and have little bumps along the edge called teeth. These teeth fit together with the teeth of another gear so that when one gear turns, it causes the other one to move too. This movement is called rotation, and it’s what makes gears so useful in machines, tools, and even toys

Single bevel gears are a type of gear that looks like a cone. They help change the direction something moves. Most gears sit flat and turn side-by-side. But beveled gears are special—they have angled teeth and are shaped like part of a cone.

This means beveled gears can change the direction of movement—they can turn motion 90 degrees! One gear turns vertically, and the other turns horizontally.

in our project that as you turn one handle, the gear attached to that axle turns one way, and the gear attached to the axle coming from the top of the gear box turns in a different direction.

In our free lesson, you’ll find the step-by-step instructions in pictures. We also have the video below. Students will learn about the driver gear and driven gear.

This activity is appropriate for elementary through high school, especially if older students have not been introduced to gears.

Use the form below to request the free lesson printable.

If you don’t have the pieces, you can purchase individual pieces at Webrick.com. If you have any Lego Technic sets, you just may have all of the pieces. Or if you have some of the Lego Education sets, you may have these pieces.

Our sponsor for this gearing activity is Skill-Trek.com. They are a family-friendly program that ensures your kids won’t have any major gaps in essential life skills. SkillTrek’s huge library is filled with bite-sized lessons that cover topics like car maintenance, managing a household budget,basic home maintenance, first aid and safety, housekeeping, hygiene, and much more. Their videos are for ages 8 and up.

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I hold a master’s degree in child development and early education and am working on a post-baccalaureate in biology. I spent 15 years working for a biotechnology company developing IT systems in DNA testing laboratories across the US. I taught K4 in a private school, homeschooled my children, and have taught on the mission field in southern Asia. For 4 years, I served on our state’s FIRST Lego League tournament Board and served as the Judging Director. I own thehomeschoolscientist and also write a regular science column for Homeschooling Today Magazine. You’ll also find my writings on the CTCMath blog. Through this site, I have authored over 50 math and science resources.