Howard County Library System
 
 
HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge

Rube Goldberg Orange Squeezing Machine

Sponsors: M&T Bank and Friends of Howard County Library System              


As part of the A+ Partners in Education initiative, HCLS and HCPSS present the Rube Goldberg Challenge. Named after the Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sculptor, and author, the contest is offered to school teams comprised of fourth and fifth grade Howard County students. The students transform everyday materials into a wacky innovative machine that accomplishes the given task. However, instead of just "solving" the problem, students are charged with making the solution as complicated and convoluted as possible. By designing and building the machine, students incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts into their creations. Simple machine classes were taught at HCLS branches during the school year.

This year's challenge was to squeeze an orange. To accomplish the challenge, students:
  • Incorporated the use of a minimum of three different simple machines with the option of using all simple machines.
  • Recorded a video of their invention while it performs the task of squeezing an orange.
  • Documented how they used science, technology, engineering, and math in developing their machine.
  • Submitted the video and documents for judging.

Congratulations to the 2013 winners, who were celebrated at the Rube Goldberg Challenge Celebration and Awards Ceremony on May 7:

Most Complex Machine
Honorable Mention: Four Musketeers, Pointers Run
First Place: Mighty Builders, Elkridge

Most Green Machine
Honorable Mention: The Orange Orangutans, Hollifield Station
First Place: Four Musketeers, Pointers Run

Most Humorous Machine
Honorable Mention: Swagalicious Orange Bosses, Hollifield Station
First Place: Fruitopi-ah, Hollifield Station

Most Scientific Machine
Honorable Mention: The Crazy Orange Crushers, Dayton Oaks
First Place: Team OJ, Ilchester

Community Favorite Machine
Honorable Mention: Machine Mechanics, Althoton ES
First Place: D.E.F.I. Gravity, Atholton ES

View videos from all 69 participating teams on YouTube.
 
Nearly 400 students (58 teams) participated in HCLS' 2012 Rube Goldberg Challenge.

View the video of the 2012 Rube Goldberg Challenge entry by the Purdue Society of Engineers that set the new world record for the Largest functional Rube Goldberg machine, according to World Records Academy.


Study Aids
Levers Lessons
Pulley Lesson
Pulley - Word Find
Inclined Plane and Simple Machine - Forces Review
Introducing Rube Goldberg Lesson
Forces and Simple Machines
Student samples - Rube Goldberg designs
Worksheets and Worksheet Instructions
Simple Machines Song
Simple Machines Exploration Lesson Plan
Simple Machines FAQ
Simple Machines Inside and Out
Online "Labs"
Examples
PPTs
"Quiz" on Simple Machines
Simple Machines for Kids
Fun Car Facts For Kids: Simple Machines Used In Automobiles


Rules and Requirements
FAQs
Intent to Participate Form
More information found at a web site recommended by teacher, Lisa Phillips.