Mrs. Moss's Masterminds at Work: Our 5th Graders' Amazing Rube Goldberg Machines!

Over the last week or so, our gifted 5th-grade classes transformed into a hub of innovation and engineering! Students have been working in teams to design and build their very own Rube Goldberg machines.

A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately complex contraption that uses a chain reaction to perform a simple task in an elaborate, roundabout way. The creativity and ingenuity on display were absolutely incredible!
We started our learning journey on the Qweebi website which has an INCREDIBLE interactive lesson on simple machines and Rube Goldberg machines.
More Than Just Fun
This project wasn't just about fun—it was a deep dive into serious STEM concepts:
  • Simple Machines: Students incorporated levers, pulleys, ramps, and more into their designs.
  • Problem Solving: The machines rarely worked on the first try! Our students demonstrated amazing resilience, troubleshooting their designs, and practicing flexibility as they refined each step.
  • Teamwork: Collaboration was key. Students had to communicate, negotiate ideas, and work together to ensure their chain reactions flowed smoothly.
  • Cause and Effect: They applied "if-then" thinking to predict outcomes and create reliable sequences.
Our hope is to link each group's machine together tomorrow to make one big Rube Goldberg machine!













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