1. Rube Goldberg Machines
Connecticut Invention Convention

2. What is a Rube Goldberg machine?
Have you ever heard of a Rube Goldberg machine?
What does it do?
We are going to watch some videos of Rube Goldberg machines!

3. Videos:
Anna’s Rube Goldberg Project:
5 Rube Goldberg Machines made by Grades 4-5 students:
Easy Rube Goldberg Project (great for showing students how things can go wrong but they should keep trying):
OK Go Rube Goldberg:
Mythbusters Rube Goldberg:
Honda Commercial: wvg

4. Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg machines are named after a cartoonist who drew complicated machines that performed a simple task.
His goal was to make fun of complex machines.
Here are some examples of his cartoons:
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5. Here is your objective:
Create a complex machine that performs a simple task in steps.
I will give you the task your machine needs to accomplish.
Use only the materials I have given your group.

6. To start: Draw each step of your invention on the worksheet provided.
Write a short description of how each step works.
Next class you will build each step and test each part of your machine.
Be prepared to present your machine once you have each step ready and have performed test runs.

7. Error Analysis
During your tests of your machines, there will be parts that won’t work.
Write down each time something goes wrong and the modifications you make to your machine to make it work.