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Here's a story about how Stacey's Grade 2/3 class designed machines to make a simple job more difficult:
Based on the cartoon artist Rube Goldberg’s inventive machines, students each brainstormed, designed, and built a contraption that could do a simple task. Each student then created a short video to explain the simple machines (Grade 2’s) and or forces (Grade 3’s) that were used.
Students were tasked with building a Rube Goldberg Machine that had a specific task and used at least:
3 of the 6 Simple Machines (lever, inclined plane, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge) - (Grade 2’s)
2 Forces (muscular force, magnetic force, electrostatic force, gravitational force…) and 2 other Vocabulary Words (push, pull, friction, buoyancy). (Grade 3’s)
Students used the design process to build their machines:
As these machines were created while students were distance learning (because of COVID), many families (parents and siblings) were able to collaborate on the design process and end product. They were a great family project.
Students took part in their own project evaluation by comparing their work to the project’s self-assessment criteria, which focused on (1) process (2) accomplishments (3) next steps. The primary focus of this evaluation process was on personal growth and student goal setting.
Everyone was encouraged to maintain a growth mindset and to keep trying if it didn't work the first (or second... or third time).
In their final assessment students shared:
“I came up with the idea by thinking about my cats and then poof I got the idea of a cat treat feeder!”
“I came up with the idea because my brother needed a toy car for a thing and so I thought oh I could use a car for my rube goldberg machine. So I did.”
“I came up with the idea because my mom has to carry my brother all the time without bending over so I made the stuffy elevator so she did not need to bend over.”
“The original purpose of my Rube Goldberg machine was to take a picture but it was too tricky so we decided to make a Rube Goldberg machine that would get my hands less slobbery when I played with my dog.”
“I was so proud of how well it worked”
“I’m proud that we found a way to make it so the last domino did not fly off the end of the bench.”
“I am most proud of the epic slide at the end”
“I am most proud that it worked eventually. It took many tries with different materials before it worked.”
“I am proud of how steady it is and how smart my dad was, giving me some possible ideas to improve my machine.”
“I solved the problem! The problem was that the balloon did not have any force to keep it in place. We used more tape.”
“I am most proud of using my jenga blocks since I didn't have dominos.”
“I am proud of getting my dog to patiently wait for the ball to launch. I think he really wanted to attack the Rube Goldberg machine so I'm proud of getting him to sit and stay while the ball came.”
“If I were to build another creation I would use a real marble instead of a water bottle.”
“If I were to build another creation I would maybe tape the mouse trap to the ground so it ACTUALLY pops the balloon”
“If I were to build another creation I would use a smaller tube so that my marble would exit in the right place.”
“My invention changed a lot from the drawing I did earlier because I needed to change my materials and get rid of the pulley.”
“I want Stacey to know that it took 17,000 times to get it right.”
Date posted: 2021
Tags: Assessment and evaluation, confidence, Cooperation and teamwork, creativity, experiential learning, Family & community-centred school environment, innovation, Innovative approaches to teaching and learning, perseverance, Student-directed learning
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