Chain reactions are one of the most fascinating concepts in science. A Rube Goldberg machine uses the concepts of multiple simple machines to create a chain reaction, which is usually designed to achieve a particular action, such as to turn on a switch, to pop a balloon, etc. This machine consists of multiple parts, which when assembled together makes the complete machine. Therefore, this is a great activity to build collaborative skills in children, since they will have to take ownership of specific parts while working with the team to achieve the desired output.
Jump to Instructions
Time Needed:
60 mins
Materials Required:
Cardboard boxes
Cardboard sheets
Cardboard tubes (from tissue paper rolls)
Paper
Ice cream sticks
String
Marbles / Cotton balls / Small balls
Aluminium foil
Plastic containers
Plastic bottles
Waste pipes / tubes
Rubber bands
Ruler
Scissors
Sticking tape
Glue
Books (to be used for elevation/to knock over)
Balloons
The resources required for each group might vary according to their design. Feel free to add more accessible everyday materials to the list.
Concept(s) Taught:
Conservation of energy | Simple machines
Skill(s) Focussed:
Problem solving | Collaboration | Creativity | Ownership
Aligned Profession(s):
Mechanical engineering
Instructions for the students:
Step 0:
Educate the students about the types of simple machines available, with relevant real-life examples. Head to this link for more details.
Step 1:
Give students the action to be achieved with the machine and set the minimum number of components that should be present in the machine. Some simple examples are:
Knock down a vertically standing book
Drop an object into a cup or a trash can
Pop a balloon
Step 2:
Next, students should come up with a design for their machine and gather the required materials to build the machine. The concepts behind at least 3 types of simple machines should be put to use in the design.
Step 3:
Once the design has been finalised, students can split the work among themselves and take ownership for specific components and go about making their components.
Step 4:
Once the individual components have been designed, the group needs to come together to assemble the machine. In this stage, the students should ensure that their components work in synchronization with the rest of the components and make any adjustments to their component if required. Then, the machine needs to be tested to ensure that it achieves the desired purpose.
Step 5:
Once the testing is done, it's time for each group to present their Rube Goldberg machine to the rest of the groups!
Special Instructions for Teachers:
View samples of similar machines:
Take some time prior to the session to view samples of simple Rube Goldberg machines constructed by children. This will ensure that you are equipped to nudge children in the right direction if they are unsure about how to proceed. Here are some examples:
History behind the Rube Goldberg Machine:
Give the students a little background about what a Rube Goldberg machine is. Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist whose work involved combining art and science to achieve simple day-to-day actions. You can even introduce them to some famous, elaborate Rube Goldberg machine examples.
Deciding the number of components:
The minimum number of components for the machine can be decided based on the level of the students. For example, if the activity is being done with class 6 students, a minimum component count of 4 can be set. Similarly, you can set a count of 5 components for class 7 and 6 components with class 8.
Ensure proper responsibility allocation:
Make it very clear to the students that each of them in the group should take up specific responsibilities and show quantifiable output for the same.
Push for resource efficiency:
Since there are no set resources for this activity, make sure that students do not go overboard with the resources they need for the machine. Also, once they've completed the machine encourage students to find ways to make the machine more optimal with fewer resources.
Encourage working backwards:
Once the problem statement has been given, some students might choose to work backwards to solve the problem. Encourage any approach that the students might want to follow.
Discuss reasons for failure:
It is possible that some of the machines do not work as expected. Discuss with the students the reasons why these models failed and guide them towards enhancing them.
Have fun making and share the works of your students with the hashtag #projectprayogshala to get featured!