HILLEL ACADEMY STUDENTS CREATE RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE

Hillel Academy Middle School participated in a day of robotics and engineering-focused learning. After a trip to Discovery World, that included a workshop on robotics, Hillel Academy students returned to the school to do some machine-building of their own.

Rube Goldberg machines are named for the engineer, inventor and cartoonist Rube Goldberg. He was known for his complex inventions that involved a series of gears, pulleys, ramps and other components brought together to complete a simple task.

Students collected various refuse items, such as popsicle sticks, string, cardboard rolls and paper cups. After listening to a presentation and studying the history of the machines, the students were divided into three teams and were then given two hours to construct a machine that would ring a bell.

After they were completed, the students unveiled and demonstrated their machines, and then participated in a written reflection exercise, in which they described the process of building the machines, and the mechanical concepts behind them.

This exercise in engineering was a great activity for the middle school students, because not only does it pique their interest in mechanical engineering as a possible future career, but it allows them to experience tangible results from outcomes-based project planning.