RUBE GOLDBERG ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE PROJECTS Francisco Jimenez

Who is Rube Goldberg?  Was a famous cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner during the twenties and thirties.  He was know for his complex contraptions for seemingly menial task.  His cartoons have impacted children’s entertainment and crossed the barriers to include a national competition for high school and college students.

The scope of the project.  To introduce students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  Students can work in groups of three or as individuals.  The projects must contain a minimum of 20 steps to accomplish the designated task.  Those movements can be mechanical or electrical.  Projects can be no more than six feet by six feet and six feet in height.  Students are encouraged to have fun.

How would the project be judged? Students will be judged by the following criteria: 100 Points point scale broken down into the following categories: GENERAL IMPRESSIONS (45 POINTS)  Step List (0 to 5 points): How clear, concise, and creative is the written explanation of the machine?  Theme or Story (0 to 10 points): How well is a recognizable theme or story integrated into the machine?  Laugh Barometer (0 to 10 points):Similar to Rube Goldberg’s cartoons, how funny is the machine?  Complexity (0 to 10 points): How well does the machine complete the task in a manner more complex than necessary?

Judging continued  ____ Team Chemistry (0 to 10 points): How well does the team communicate and work together?  Everyday Items (0 to 5 points): How well does the machine use recognizable everyday items in a creative, unique, funny way? SUBTOTAL GENERAL IMPRESSIONS RUN RELATED (55 POINTS)  Verbal Presentation (0 to 5 points): How clear, concise, creative, and charismatic is the verbal presentation of the machine?  Time (up to 2 minutes: no penalty; 2:00 – 2:15 minutes: -5 points ; over 2:15 minutes: -10 points)  Rube Goldberg Style Steps (0 to 10 points) : How well are steps designed to use everyday items in creative, unique, and unusual ways? How much variety in mechanisms, energy forms, materials, and physical principles exists in the steps?

Year by year Project Ideas  2012 Inflate A Balloon and Pop It!  2011 Watering A Plant  2010 Dispense an Appropriate Amount of Hand Sanitizer into a Hand  2009 Replace an Incandescent Light Bulb with a More Energy Efficient Light Emitting Design  2008 Assemble a Hamburger  2007 Squeeze the Juice from an Orange  2006 Shred 5 Sheets of Paper  2005 Change Batteries and Turn on a 2-battery Flashlight

Who can participate?  It is open to all students interested in mathematics, science or engineering careers  Initial judging will occur at the individual classroom level and move to a second and third round  The second round will be a school wide competition.

The third round?  Once the second is completed:  The winners of the school level competition will compete with other student’s via a school wide televised SKYPE session.  The Skype Session will determine the overall winner which would advance to the national competition.  The winning project video would be posted on the winning school’s and district website  Winners would receive a reward.

Some examples of Rube Goldberg Projects?

Reference  Goldberg, R. (2013). Rube Goldberg machine contest. Retrieved from: L_12612.pdf  Miami Dade County Public Schools (2012). Science curriculum framework. Retrieved from: work.pdf