Students build machines modeled after cartoonist’s illustrations

May 08, 2008 08:46 pm

— By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The wind-up baby helped Carl Junction seventh-graders Brandon Parrish and Peter Schumacher kill a little time.
Parrish wound up the toy and sent it crawling along a wood platform. As its blue, plastic diaper swayed back and forth, the toy crawled toward a precariously placed domino and eventually knocked it over.
“Peter’s mom loaned us that toy,” Parrish said. “Originally we used a wind-up sushi toy to start it, but it didn’t take up enough time.”
The toy set off a chain of events that led to a coin being placed in a bank. Seventh-graders built Rube Goldberg machines for a science assignment, and they demonstrated them on Thursday.
“Students had to use several simple machines to build a complex machine,” said teacher Lori Divine. “They could choose one of two tasks to accomplish: They could deposit a coin in a bank or turn a book’s page.”
The machines were based on cartoonist Goldberg’s illustrations, which showed complicated riggings and constructions to accomplish simple tasks, such as dabbing sauce from a dining man’s face, buttering toast or petting a cat.
Goldberg never had to build one of his crazy contraptions, though. Students worked on the assignment anywhere from six to 12 hours, and some spent even more time.
The machine built by Parrish and Schumacher included several wooden tracks and PVC pipes attached to one another other, and was painted purple.
“The hardest part was gathering up all the wood we needed,” Parrish said. “That, and finding the PVC pipes.”
Seventh-grader Matthew Stross said he worked for almost 30 hours on his machine. He rigged a mechanism of several ball bearings and intricate roller-coaster tracks to guide a coin into a sorter.
Stross said he was inspired by his love of roller coasters.
“My dad and I like to work with mechanical stuff,” Stross said. “I’m also a roller-coaster freak. I love the ‘RollerCoaster Tycoon’ video games.”
In addition to building the machines, Divine said, students had to give a brief oral presentation about the simple machines used in their designs. The project was worth a grade that carried more weight than three regular lab assignments, she said.
“I’m proud of all the kids,” Divine said. “They worked hard building, planning and using what they have learned about energy and machines.”


Hands-on assignment

More than 245 students, some working in pairs, built machines using all sorts of materials, including balsa wood, playing cards, PVC pipes, plastic tubes and even old toys.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.