Rube Goldberg Device Engineering and Design 9-12 One week of Class OR One week of Homework and One Class: Days 1-4 • Fabrication Day 5 • Final Adjustments (20 Minutes) • Presentation (35 Minutes) Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Design a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. Introduce students to the concept of a Rube Goldberg Machine. Show the class a video example of Rube Goldberg Machines. • Ok-Go music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w • Honda Commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOJIE4S5uaY Task students with creating a Rube Goldberg Machine. 1. Students should develop a Rube Goldberg Machine composed of a minimum number of steps to accomplish a simple tasks. Constraints could include usage of at least one example of each simple machine, or a minimum time limit. Practice designing and fabricating a solution to a problem. Practice troubleshooting a machine. Students will present their machines to the class. 3D printed parts Pencils Any other parts the student wishes Seesaw Pulley Mini buckets x2 Corkscrew Twister Pencil connectors x4 1. Print whichever parts students wish to incorporate into their Rube Goldberg machines. 2. Certain parts operate in a specific way: The corkscrew is activated by a torque to the side of the companion twister part. If the torque is sufficient, the twister should make its way down the corkscrew. This motion can be used to activate another part of the Rube Goldberg machine. The seesaw base features two tabs on either side to prevent weights from falling off the seesaw when resting. The different seesaw support heights allow students to experiment with angle and release. The pulley is designed for thin string (up to 2mm). The accompanying miniature buckets can be used to carry marbles — commonly found in Rube Goldberg machines — or other objects up or down. The pencil connectors allow two sharpened pencils to fit together and form a long rod-like structure. Two of these together would form a rail pathway for a ball to roll down. Students can adjust the distance between rails depending on the size of the ball. To fit more than two pencils together, the erasers need to be removed. Creating a Rube Goldberg machine lets students exercise creativity in engineering. Furthermore, a Rube Goldberg machine requires fairly high precision to implement successfully. Finally, the sheer number of parts means that students need to be able to keep track of many things in their design. Students should also be encouraged to design and print their own parts for their Rube Goldberg Machines.
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