Rube Goldberg Individual Evaluation

Date ______Evaluator ______Person being Evaluated ______

Directions: Evaluate everyone in your group. Your evaluation is important and should provide constructive and positive feedback. Be honest and objective. Do not allow personal prejudice to influence your evaluation. Complete one copy of this evaluation for each member of your group including yourself. (40% of your grade)

Circle the appropriate number using the following description. 1=Never 2= Rarely 3=Sometimes 4=Usually 5=Always

1 2 3 4 5  Reliability o Completes assigned work o Concentrates and perseveres on given tasks 1 2 3 4 5  Self Motivation o Seeks out and does a fair share of the group tasks 1 2 3 4 5  Decision Making o Accepts responsibility for decisions o Examines options and their consequences o Is able to compromise at appropriate times on group decisions 1 2 3 4 5  Communication o Expresses ideas and opinions clearly o Listens to and respects the ideas and opinions of others 1 2 3 4 5  Cooperation o Works well with other group members o Contributes to the group o Shares ideas appropriately to move group toward goal 1 2 3 4 5  Creativity o Considers unconventional alternatives and takes risks o Shows originality in thought o Seeks alternatives to the obvious 1 2 3 4 5  Problem Solving o Asks good probing questions o Considers more than one solution o Tests possible solutions 1 2 3 4 5  Quality of work o Sets high standards for self and the group o Plans thoroughly to minimize wasting time and materials 1 2 3 4 5  Time on Task o Uses time efficiently o Organizes information, time, materials, and tasks appropriately for given situations 1 2 3 4 5  Handling of Tools/Materials o Uses tools safely and appropriately o Returns materials and cleans up work area Rube Goldberg Group Evaluation

Group members: ______(60% of your grade)

Outcomes Criteria Purpose 0 1 3 5 Students should No understanding Vague Mostly understood Completely demonstrate an demonstrated and demonstration of the problem understood the understanding of the didn’t utilize any understanding and/or successfully problem successfully problem, write a proper transformations of and less than 8 utilized at least 8 utilized at least 8 purpose and involve at energy. transformations. transformations. transformations. least 8 energy transformations. Art/Creativity 0 1 3 5 Students should No Artwork Diagram poorly Diagram somewhat Thoroughly thought produce an artistic and thought out. No thought out. out. Excellent creative drawing to help color, no distinct Colors and objects artwork and use of explain the machine. variations in were creatively color and use of objects used. used. objects. Creative/Neat Physical Model 0 1 3 5 Students should No model and /or Partially modeled Adequately Exceptionally correctly and completely no description and described modeled and modeled and describe the device and from an energy from an energy described from an described from an how it functions. standpoint standpoint. energy standpoint. energy standpoint. Explanation 0 1 3 5 Students should Did not present Very few of the All of the energy All of the energy effectively account for the energy energy considerations and considerations and the energy considerations considerations the external work the external work transformations in detail and the external and the external done on the done on the devices & include an analysis of work done on the work done on the devices were not were outlined in external work done. machine. devices outlined. totally outlined. detail. (what starts the motion) Product 0 1 3 5 Students should The device does The device could The device could The device produced construct a workable not work and the actually work and actually work and actually worked and device that follows the desired outcome complete the complete and completed the design submitted. is not obtainable desired outcome complete the desired outcome. without severe with minor desired outcome alterations. alterations. with a few alterations. Comments: Rube Goldberg Design and Construction Project 2011

The Rube Goldberg Design and Construction Project brings the ideas of Pulitzer Prize winning artist Rube Goldberg’s “invention” cartoons to life. Rube Goldberg satirized the technology and gadgets of his day by making a very elaborate machine to perform a simple task. In this project students will work in groups to design, construct and explain a Rube Goldberg machine that will complete a specified task. Instead of just solving a problem the students will make the solution as convoluted as possible. In fact, there should be a minimum of eight energy changes. Students will assemble ordinary objects, mechanical gadgets and the oddest of items in a train to somehow get the desired outcome.

This is just the beginning of the project. Students will also be required to explain how their machines work. Below is an example explaining the “Self-Opening Umbrella” pictured above.

A. Water falls on the sponge.

B. The sponge soaks up the water and expands.

C. The expanding sponge tips the lever.

D. The opposite end of the lever moves downward.

E. The cigarette lighter strikes.

F. And lights the candle

G. The oxygen and air combine as the candle burns.

H. The heat from the flame heats water in the tea kettle.

I. Water is absorbs heat energy.

J. The steam comes from the spout.

K. The whistle blows.

L. The monkey jumps onto the swing.

You get the idea. You will also need to explain about the energy conversions. You will need at least 8. We will video your machines in action and your projects will be uploaded to the Raider Physical Science wiki at raiderphysicalscience.wikispaces.com. Work Schedule Day 1: Design: Move into your groups. Receive instructions and task. Begin drawing a rough sketch of proposed machine. Assign members to bring in materials.

Day 2: Design: Continue design and drawing. Finalize materials list. Begin writing up your explanations. You may type these in a Word document. Diagram should be colored and labeled. Use the diagram from the first page as an example.

Day 3: Begin assembling your machine.

Day 4: Continue assembly.

Day 5: Run machines, video.

Day 6: Upload work, diagrams, and explanations. Complete evaluations.