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Goldberg’s Gears

Students will have fun making the simple complicated as they learn about Rube Goldberg and sketch an invention inspired by his imaginative style.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) was an engineer turned cartoonist who was known for "invention drawings" in which he made a simple process outlandishly complicated. Have students look at some of his cartoons, such as the Automatic Sheet Music Turner, the Self-Operating Napkin, or Closing Your Windows While You're Away.

  • Step 2

    A chain reaction is a sequence of events in which each induces or influences the next. A Rube Goldberg machine is a chain reaction-type contraption intentionally designed to be impractical. It might also utilize some principles of physics such as gravity, momentum, acceleration, kinetic energy, etc.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to think of a simple task that could be made complicated. Have them illustrate a contraption that would accomplish this task in several steps. Ask them to label the sequence of the steps and also write down the principles of physics they demonstrate.

  • Step 4

    Have students present their invention to the class and describe its function and the physics principles it employs.

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

SCI: Design pictorial or graphic representations/models that are useful in communicating ideas.

Adaptations

The concept of the ripple effect suggests that our thoughts, attitudes, and actions can create a chain reaction, influencing the people around us and the world at large. Have students think of positive examples of this, such as approaching a collaborative work with a solution-oriented mindset or preforming a helpful action that inspires others to do the same.

Have students learn more about the life of Rube Goldberg. For example, he earned an engineering degree from UC Berkely, one of his cartoons won a Pulitzer Prize, and he became a sculptor at the age of 80.