Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

45 minutes – Part A: Figuring out Forces
60 minutes – Part B: Forces in Action
15 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Figuring out Forces

Before the lesson begins, ensure that all resources for the Rube Goldberg Design Challenge have been placed in suitable positions where students will be able to access them. It is recommended that resources are spread around the room to avoid congestion when students are using them.

Students should also be provided with the Forces Handbook to refer to throughout the lesson.

Step 1.

Explain to students that this lesson will begin with a challenge activity. Display the Make It Move Design Challenge either as an A3 printed copy or projected for the class to see. Read it aloud to the class and respond to questions students have about the task:

Step 2.

Provide students with 15 minutes to complete the task and associated activity in their handbook.

Step 3.

Have a class discussion for students to share examples of ways they made the ball move, and what differences they observed in the movements. Emphasise that there are two categories of forces that could have been applied to make the table tennis ball move; push and pull. Identify examples of pushes and pulls from the forces that students shared.

Step 4.

Show students the following clip:

Pushing and Pulling - Force, Work and Energy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAThuCmwp9I)

Step 5.

Invite students to share their thoughts and observations about the content of the clip.

As a class, discuss and verbally define each of the following terms:

Force - suggested answer: a push or a pull.
Push - suggested answer: a forward-moving force.
Pull - suggested answer: a force moving toward yourself.
Friction - suggested answer: a force acting on a moving object that slows it down.
Gravity - suggested answer: Earth's force that attracts objects toward its centre.
Energy - suggested answer: the ability to do work.

Step 6.

Now provide students with time to complete Activity 2 - Defining Key Terms in their Forces Handbook, writing a definition for each of the above terms.

Part B: Forces in Action

Step 1.

Ensure that the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are displayed or written on the board and read them aloud to students.

Students will...

... apply knowledge of forces to create a Rube Goldberg-inspired machine.

Students can...

... explain what a force is.
... explain what motion is.
... explain whether a movement has been caused by a push or a pull.
... identify when gravity is the force creating a movement.
... identify the origin of forces in their Rube Goldberg-inspired design.

Step 2.

Show the following clip:

All About Rube Goldberg | Nat Geo Kids Cool Inventions Playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZh93OrKssw)

Discuss the nature of Rube Goldberg’s cartoons as a class, emphasising that the idea behind them was creating complex contraptions that complicated simple everyday tasks.

Step 3.

Explain to the class that the next video shows an example of a Rube Goldberg inspired system, the purpose of which is to answer a phone.

Show the following clip:

75 Rube Goldberg Ideas & Inventions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FzUx2EFk8s)

Step 4.

Once the video is complete, invite students to share their thoughts ideas and observations in a class discussion.

Step 5.

Explain to students that they will watch the previous video (or a portion of the video - decide this at your discretion) again. This time they are to keep an eye out for an example of a push, a pull and gravity causing a movement. Once they have finished watching the video (or selected portion) again, allow time for them to record their observations in Activity 3 of the Forces Handbook.

Step 6.

Explain to the class that they will all be creating their own (smaller) Rube Goldberg style systems.

Show the Rube Goldberg Design Challenge Sheet, printed A3 or projected for the class to view (This has also been included in the student handbook).

Read the expectations of the task aloud to students, answering any questions they have as you go.

Step 7.

Provide students with 30 minutes to work on the Design Challenge. Notify students when there are 10 minutes remaining and ensure they have all had an opportunity to test it in action.

Note: It is recommended that you carry a device capable of filming and record each system in progress as each individual/pair complete the task. This will enable you to show each design in a subsequent lesson or include them in a digital portfolio if desired. It also allows you to view each system again when completing the assessment rubric.

It is important to appreciate that students will naturally engage in different creative processes. Some students will sketch first to develop their initial ideas, others will develop ideas by interacting with available materials. Forcing a particular style or method for design can hinder creativity, so it is important to allow natural processes to be followed.

While students are developing their designs, roam around the room, discussing ideas and supporting students facing challenges. If students have efficiently created simple designs, prompt them to consider more complex elements they could add to their system. Students who have difficulty focusing during open-ended tasks may benefit from working with a partner during this task.

Step 8.

Prompt students to find a partner (or another pair) to share and explain their design.

Students should:

Demonstrate the design in action.
Explain the points in the sequence when a force was applied to another object, what type of force it was, and the reaction to the force.
Identify points in the system where friction or gravity was particularly relevant.

Step 9.

Provide 10 minutes for students to complete the Design Challenge Summary task in their Forces Handbooks.

Reflection

This reflection makes use of the Think-Pair-Share approach. The aim of this is to provide students with the opportunity to repeatedly use scientific vocabulary in context to support them to commit terms to memory and solidify their understanding of key concepts explored in the lesson.

Step 1.

Using the Think-Pair-Share approach, invite students to respond to the following questions:

What is a force?
What are two types of forces that we can exert ourselves?
What are two other types of forces that occur in our environment?
When you apply a particular force, is the impact on the other object always the same?

Think Pair Share
Think pair share is a collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question.
Think - students independently think about an issue or question and record their thoughts.
Pair - students work in pairs to discuss their ideas and record new thoughts.
Share - students share their thoughts with the whole group or with other pairs to reach consensus.

Step 2.

Conclude the lesson by showing the Honda - The Cog advertisement.

Differentiated Learning

Extension and Provisional Learning Support - While students are developing their designs, roam around the room, discussing ideas and supporting students facing challenges. If students have efficiently created simple designs, prompt them to consider more complex elements they could add to their system. Students who have difficulty developing ideas and/or organising themselves during open-ended tasks may benefit from working with a partner.

Assessment - Student understanding of forces and their ability to create a Rube Goldberg inspired design can be assessed against the rubric provided. This can be retained for use when reporting or as a work sample for student portfolios. If students have digital portfolios and you have filmed their systems, these can be included alongside the rubric.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

STEAM - Build an Amazing Machine!

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

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