Curiosity & Creativity
Unplugged Quest Project
Rube Goldberg & Perpetual Motion Machine
We have all been spending a lot of time on computers, tablets, and zoom recently. Time to unplug and make something! You may have heard of a Rube Goldberg machine. It is a contraption that uses a chain reaction to carry out a simple task. It performs a very basic job in a complicated way.
Here is an example of a very well done machine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRKOn4CydVQ
Your challenge: Create your own Rube Goldberg machine that involves a ball, marble, or some sort of sphere. Your goal is to complete a simple task using a complicated machine.
Limitations: You can only use items found in your house (with parents' permission)
Goal: Score the most points possible and record a successful Rube Goldberg machine.
Points are scored in the following ways:
- 1 point per second your ball is moving to a new location or your contraption is transferring energy/triggering new events. (Attaching a marble to a string like a pendulum would not count).
- 2 points per unique item used. If you have 3 cardboard slides or ramps, that would only count as a total of two points. Whether you use 100 or 5 dominoes, either would be 2 points.
- Difficulty rating: Score yourself 1 - 10 on how challenging your contraption was to set up and execute.
- Creativity: Score yourself 1 - 10 on the creativity of your machine and the task it accomplishes.
Quest Project - Tinkercad
What happens when our homes become our classroom? What an opportunity for all of us. No, not the part about staying in your pajamas all day, the opportunity comes from real, applicable learning. The problem solving comes from actual problems that need solving. And the best part is what you create is up to YOU!
I know I have been looking at how I can improve my space to make it more comfortable, efficient, and improve the feng shui.
Here's the first project: design your ideal work space using tinkercad.com - more on log in below. Here are some guiding questions.
- What are some of your needs for doing all your school at home? Is a desk and chair necessary?
- How will you stay organized?
- What are some aspects of the physical space in a classroom you like and dislike?
- What will you use for light? Lamp, sun, etc
- What creative inventions could you incorporate into your work space? An automatic pencil dispenser? Snack station?
- How do you learn best? If you are easily distracted, what can you do to prevent getting off task?
- What technology will you add?
Tinkercad login info
Go to tinkercad using this link
You may need to sign in using your school gmail account.
In case you need the code: GITVEIU1BYIF (you shouldn't if you used the link above)
Enter your first name for your nickname. If it does not work, please send me an email and I will get you added ASAP.
If you have not used tinkercad before, I highly recommend using the tutorials under the "Learn" tab to help you get started. There are also youtube videos you can search for to help problem solve. Here is a pretty comprehensive video on how to get started. I recommend watching 3-4 minutes, then trying what is being described. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60xfIu-lqAs
You also have an option of doing a scale drawing a piece of paper, graph paper is recommended.
Project
Create your ideal space using the 3D cad program. Think about your "must haves" and then add some extra flair to make it a comfortable, inviting, creative and inspiring space to complete your work. As students begin working on this project we will be sharing our progress and creating a rubric for assessment.
Quest project - Bebras
For the last three years, many of Brandon's Quest students have completed the Bebras Challenge. It is an online, computational thinking challenge.
Every Tuesday from now until the end of May, Bebras will open up a new set of FREE practice tasks that students can practice. Students do not need to log in and they receive immediate feedback after they submit their answers. In addition to the correct answer, the students receive an explanation of each task and why it is computational thinking. The Weekly Bebras Home Challenge will take students approximately 30 – 60 minutes to complete.
These questions are free to all. No registration or data collection is required.