Arizona STEM
Acceleration Project
Rube Goldberg Machines
Rube Goldberg Machines!
A 7th Grade STEM Lesson
Josylyn Larson
April 2023
Notes for Teachers
Context: This lesson takes place in a classroom for several hours.
Students are working in small groups of 3-4.
An emphasis on systems and combining systems.
List of Materials:
Arizona Standards
Math:
7.MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Mathematically proficient students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations. Students can contextualize and decontextualize problems involving quantitative relationships. They contextualize quantities, operations, and expressions by describing a corresponding situation. They decontextualize a situation by representing it symbolically. As they manipulate the symbols, they can pause as needed to access the meaning of the numbers, the units, and the operations that the symbols represent. Mathematically proficient students know and flexibly use different properties of operations, numbers, and geometric objects and when appropriate they interpret their solution in terms of the context.
Physical Science:
8.P4U2.5 Develop a solution to increase efficiency when transferring energy from one source to another.
Ed Technology:
6-8.4.a. Students engage in a design process for generating and testing ideas and developing innovative products to solve problems.
Science and Engineering Practices:
● ask questions and define problems
● develop and use models
● use mathematics and computational thinking
● construct explanations and design solutions
● obtain, evaluate, and communicate information
Objective(s):
The students will construct a complex machine involving the use of at least 3 simple machines.
Agenda (several days)
10 minutes: read Rube Goldberg Book
15 minutes: brainstorm problems that need to be solved
40 minutes: Choose a problem and sketch possible machines
120 minutes: construct and test machines
45 minutes: collaborate and combine with other groups
What is a Rube Goldberg Machine?
https://pin.it/R0MRNpt
Machines
Machines are the mechanical structures that utilize power to produce forces and movement.
6 Simple Machines include:
Read-Aloud
Instructions
In a group of 2-4, engineer a system of at least 3 simple machines to replicate a Rube Goldberg machine.
Constraints:
Cardboard, dowels, marbles, twine, styrofoam
How do we assess our work?
We evaluate our final machine’s ability to meet requirements and stay within constraints.
Assessment
Test your machines:
ELA Assessment
How is what you are doing similar to what Rube did in “Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day?”
How is it different?
Describe in detail your own engineering design process.
Differentiation
One way to differentiate in this lesson is to provide some groups a template for their first machine or goal. This can help students who struggle with the “getting started” phase.
You can also allow them to use human power to help their machine along.
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
Students who are successful right away can create 3D printed parts to streamline their machine. They can also combine with another group and work out a way to combine their machines and make it longer.