Summer 2009Inventor's Toolbox (Grades: 6-9)Are you fascinated by inventions and the way things work? Using multiple labs and hands-on activities, investigate and construct an array of simple machines. Learn about kinetic energy and how energy is conserved. How do incline planes and levers reduce force? Construct fixed and free pulleys and explore how wheels and axles, screws and gears make work easier. Then construct a Rube Goldberg machine with recycled materials and simple objects. A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered apparatus that performs a very simple task such as breaking a balloon, in an exceedingly complex way, usually using a chain reaction. In the words of the inventor, the machines were a "symbol of man's capacity for exerting maximum effort to achieve minimal results." At end of class, show off your wacky contraption to friends and family. Prerequisite(s):
Instructor: Greg Weaver
Greg Weaver teaches science and engineering at Technology High School in Rohnert Park. He is the advisor for the Tech High Robotics team.
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