Rube Goldberg Machine Project
Background Info:
Rube Goldberg is best known for his “Invention” cartoons, which use a string of outlandish tools, people, plants and steps to accomplish everyday simple tasks in the most complicated way. Wackiness! Rube saw the humor in every situation. His ludicrous cartoons were a satire on the American public for their complicated methods for solving a problem. Rub Goldberg’s drawings point out that people are often overwhelmed by over complicating their lives.
Purpose:
By performing this project, you will gain a better understanding of each type of simple machine. You will also learn how simple machines create useful devices we use in our daily lives. To bring the discovery all together, you will design and build a Rube Goldberg type machine.
Procedure:
Design and build a Rube Goldberg type machine. You must use your creativity to design a motion machine. How it moves and what it does is up to you. Your machine must include at least 4 simple machines with two of them being a lever and a pulley. All machines must be hand made and three must work independently.
Materials:
You must provide all materials used for this project. Find common items around the house to use. This should not be something you have to spend much, if any money on materials. No live animals may be used in this project.
Types of Simple Machines: Lab Notebook:
Each group will compile a lab notebook for their project. The notebook will consist of the following parts:
Cover Sheet with the following:
Materials: Write down a list of materials used in the construction of your machine.
Log: Date and time of who worked on what related to your machine.
Diagram: A rough sketch of your machine with each simple machine that is used being labeled.
Simple Machine Description: Type a separate paragraph for each simple machine explaining how that simple machine functions to complete the task.
Presentation: Each team member must appear once on tape and someone will describe what happens with your machine and video this.
Click here for examples
Scoring Rubric
Team Members: ________________________________________________________
Lab Notebook:
Cover Sheet 5 points
Problem 5 points
Materials 5 points
Log 10 points
Diagram 10 points
Simple Machine Description 15 points
Machine:
Include 4 working simple machines:
Lever (Simple machine 1) 25 points
Pulley (Simple machine 2) 25 points
Simple Machine 3 25 points
Simple Machine 4 25 points
Presentation:
All group members on film 25 points
Describe how the machine works 50 points
Describe the function of each simple machine 100 points
Total Points Earned (out of 325)
Project is Due Friday, May 5, 2016
Background Info:
Rube Goldberg is best known for his “Invention” cartoons, which use a string of outlandish tools, people, plants and steps to accomplish everyday simple tasks in the most complicated way. Wackiness! Rube saw the humor in every situation. His ludicrous cartoons were a satire on the American public for their complicated methods for solving a problem. Rub Goldberg’s drawings point out that people are often overwhelmed by over complicating their lives.
Purpose:
By performing this project, you will gain a better understanding of each type of simple machine. You will also learn how simple machines create useful devices we use in our daily lives. To bring the discovery all together, you will design and build a Rube Goldberg type machine.
Procedure:
Design and build a Rube Goldberg type machine. You must use your creativity to design a motion machine. How it moves and what it does is up to you. Your machine must include at least 4 simple machines with two of them being a lever and a pulley. All machines must be hand made and three must work independently.
Materials:
You must provide all materials used for this project. Find common items around the house to use. This should not be something you have to spend much, if any money on materials. No live animals may be used in this project.
Types of Simple Machines: Lab Notebook:
Each group will compile a lab notebook for their project. The notebook will consist of the following parts:
Cover Sheet with the following:
- Name of Team Members
- Date
- Rube Goldberg Project
- “Title of Project”
Materials: Write down a list of materials used in the construction of your machine.
Log: Date and time of who worked on what related to your machine.
Diagram: A rough sketch of your machine with each simple machine that is used being labeled.
Simple Machine Description: Type a separate paragraph for each simple machine explaining how that simple machine functions to complete the task.
Presentation: Each team member must appear once on tape and someone will describe what happens with your machine and video this.
Click here for examples
Scoring Rubric
Team Members: ________________________________________________________
Lab Notebook:
Cover Sheet 5 points
Problem 5 points
Materials 5 points
Log 10 points
Diagram 10 points
Simple Machine Description 15 points
Machine:
Include 4 working simple machines:
Lever (Simple machine 1) 25 points
Pulley (Simple machine 2) 25 points
Simple Machine 3 25 points
Simple Machine 4 25 points
Presentation:
All group members on film 25 points
Describe how the machine works 50 points
Describe the function of each simple machine 100 points
Total Points Earned (out of 325)
Project is Due Friday, May 5, 2016