Activity instructions: Rube Goldberg challenge

Step 1.

Begin by sharing the following video:

Ok Go- This Too Shall Pass- Rube Goldberg Machine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w)

Once complete, invite students to suggest what the machine in this video is. It is a Rube Goldberg machine!

Step 2.

Now explain to students that they will make their own Rube Goldberg machine. However, this comes with some extra challenges:

they need to film their machine in action
they need to add a song or sound effects to their film
they only have 40 minutes to do all this (adjust the timing to suit your requirements).

Explain to students that given the limited time limit for this task, it is not expected that they will create a highly complex Rube Goldberg machine or a professionally edited video. The machines and videos will be judged on creativity, not perfection.

You could also add other parameters to suit your cohort, such as:

everyone gets the same equipment
everyone gets different equipment
groups can trade equipment
groups can select one additional item of their choosing for their machine from around the room/school
machines MUST include one particular item (of your choosing)
people can be a part of the machine.

Step 3.

Before students begin, invite them to read through the following tips (also available on the Student Worksheet).

Start at the end - what do you want to achieve with your machine? For example, are you aiming to knock down a pile of blocks, pop a balloon or wave a flag? Work backwards from there, thinking about what actions could unfold to achieve your desired outcome.
Make a plan - although you don't have much time, work together to brainstorm a series of actions that you could incorporate to complete your task. Write down these actions, and depending on your material, choose at least 3 to focus on (tip: you could break your group up and assign different actions to each student).
Look at your materials - which materials would be best suited to your actions? You might need to adjust actions to suit the materials you have.
Build and test - ideally, you want to be able to test all the actions in your machine. However, some actions can take quite a long time to set up, and with time in short supply, it might be better to choose actions that aren’t too complex so that you can run tests and make improvements if you need to.

Step 4.

Start the clock and announce, “Start!”

Be sure to provide time checks, such as “You’re halfway through” and “5 minutes to go!”

As they work, remind students that this is not an easy challenge (it wouldn’t be a challenge otherwise) and that they don’t need to aim for perfection.

Step 5.

When students have completed their challenge, share the videos with the class. Take a moment to discuss the best bits about each group’s work and invite suggestions on how they could be improved.

Choose a winner if you like!

Meaningful Moments: Rube Goldberg Challenge

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