Rube Goldberg

Grade: 8-12

Subject: Science/Physics

Topic: Rube Goldberg Design

Lesson Overview

This project is based off A man names Rube Goldberg. He was an engineer and depicted as someone who created complicated gadgets to do simple tasks. The goal of this lesson is to show just that. The students will be given a problem such as peeling an apple or pushing a boat across water. They are to create a machine to do that task. The machine must do a certain amount of things and include a certain amount of interactions between objects before finishing with the final task at hand.

Materials:

If created as a take home project this could vary

(These are suggestions for in class)

Meterstick
Marbles (3)
Small disposable cup
Pennies (2)
Scissors
Painter's tape
Insulation tape
Small box or stack of books to prop up the ramp

Options for adding chemistry:

Vinegar and baking soda
Effervescent tablets (avoid medication!) and water

Esential questions:

What is a Rube Goldberg?
Do such machines exist in the world?
What is a problem or task you have at home that you wish you had a machine to do it for you.
Work (in Joules, J) = Force (Newtons, N) x Distance (m) Mechanical advantage of a lever = Distance of effort (applied force) to fulcrum Distance of load (weight) to fulcrum Mechanical advantage = Force_out (that is, the resulting force) Force_in (that is, the force applied initially)
questions over force and work done.

Objective: The student will...

Understand that the kinetic energy of a moving object is proportional to its mass, or, that kinetic energy of the object doubles when its mass doubles.
Understand that the kinetic energy of a moving object is proportional to the square of the speed of the moving object, or, that the kinetic energy of the object quadruples when its speed doubles.
Apply the concept of kinetic energy to moving parts of a Rube Goldberg machine.
Experience the importance of planning in the engineering design process.
Explain how knowledge of scientific principles can help shorten the engineering design process.

Technology integration: The students will be using their Ipads throughout the school year to work on their project. They will use the Ipads to research the the goal and how to achieve it, to create a machine that will be presented to the class showing the task being finished.

PICRAT

My Technology integration within the lesson plan would be categorized in the CT or Creative Transforms category.

The lesson has students create a project of their own choosing. They can use their iPad and programs/apps within the iPad to create many things throughout the project. They get to use this technology to make a design process before creating a final project.

The Tranforming part of the of the project comes from when the students get to not just work on a worksheet or create the typical posterboard or paper design but to Transform the simple questions from a worksheet into a whole design and tactic to accomplish a task. They also have the oppurtunity to create a video presentation lik ethe example shown of a music video.

TEKS:

(6) Science concepts. The student knows that changes occur within a physical system and applies the laws of conservation of energy and momentum. The student is expected to: (

A) investigate and calculate quantities using the work-energy theorem in various situations;

(B) investigate examples of kinetic and potential energy and their transformations;

(D) demonstrate and apply the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum in one dimension; and

(E) explain everyday examples that illustrate the four laws of thermodynamics and the processes of thermal energy transfer.

What it will look like!

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine - Official Video - YouTube

(This is a music video showing one but the students will have to be within a certain parameter of measurements)

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