A Rube Goldberg® machine stalls.
Ask questions about the contact forces and energy used to cause chain reactions.
In a Tom and Jerry cartoon, objects in a chain reaction move with one initial contact.
Click here for NGSS, CCSS (ELA), and California ELD standards.
This is the first lesson of this learning sequence and introduces the students to a phenomenon (chain reactions in a cartoon) to which they can initiate their learning. The lesson provides a common experience for students to learn what a Rube Goldberg® machine is. Students use their prior knowledge from kindergarten through grade 3 about force and motion to observe and describe chain reactions in terms of action (movement) and how the action occurred (forces). They explain their observations in terms of their prior knowledge about energy (DCI and CCC), cause and effect (CCC), and by asking questions (SEP).
In the next lessons, students compare and contrast observations from a Rube Goldberg® machine that works but then fails.
Throughout the lesson, a flag (
) denotes formative assessment opportunities where you may change instruction in response to students’ level of understanding and making sense of phenomena.
The concept of energy is difficult for fourth graders to construct intuitively. Most can describe that they need energy to ride their bike or that they eat to get energy to do other things.
The unit is designed for students to describe chain reactions as something that happens because of forces (from grade 3) while starting to make connections to the word energy. In Lessons 1–2, it is okay if student thinking about energy is tentative; by Lesson 3: Collisions and Speed students should be using the concept to describe what they are observing.
Try to provide opportunities for students to mention energy. Here is one example of an exchange between student and teacher:
Student: The ball was moving because a contact force made it move.
Teacher: How did the force cause it to move?
Student: Somebody pushed it.
Teacher: How did the person get the motion to push it?
Students discuss possible ways that happen; they might use the word energy.
Teacher: (if students didn’t mention energy): Describe a time when you didn’t feel like moving.
Student: When I was tired; I had no energy.
Teacher: Was there energy in the Rube Goldberg machine? How do you know?
Student: Yes, things moved in the Rube Goldberg machine, so there was energy.
Whenever students mention energy, conduct a discussion with probing questions about what they mean by the word, trying to tie it to their everyday life. Expected Student Responses (ESRs): I need energy to ride my bike; my baby brother runs out of energy and falls on the floor; when our car runs out of gas, we need to get some to make the car go.
| Part I | 20 minutes | Engage |
| Part II | 45 minutes | Engage |
| Part III | 45 minutes | Engage |
This entire lesson is an Engage phase of the 5Es. The lesson is about:
Because there are no right or wrong answers in these initial discussions, it’s a good time to encourage every student to add his or her voice.
Accept answers as students provide them. It is okay to ask questions to help students clarify their thinking, but do not at this point try to change student ideas. As students move through the next lessons, there will be opportunities for them to revisit their initial thoughts and build on or modify them.
At the end of the lesson, the class will create the Our Thinking So Far chart. This chart will be modified as students go through the learning sequence. In some cases, thinking will be revised, changed completely, or added to.
For more information about Talk Science and the discussion types, visit https://inquiryproject.terc.edu/shared/pd/TalkScience_Primer.pdf.
Ask questions about patterns and cause and effect observations of a chain reaction.
Expected Student Responses (ESRs): One that catches the mouse without harming it; doesn’t use chemicals; kills the mouse; kills quickly so the animal doesn’t suffer, is small enough to fit in the cabinet, etc.)
(Pre-assessment of using criteria to solve problems). Ask table groups to share their observations and conduct a discussion as to whether the mousetrap met the criteria.
Expected Student Responses (ESRs): It wasn’t very efficient; in the end the mouse got away; there were no chemicals; it had too many parts, etc.
Ask students what questions they have and what are they wondering about. Chart their responses.
Ask questions about patterns and cause and effect of a chain reaction.
Reflect on students’ prior knowledge about cause and effect relationships (from K–2) and how these relationships are used to explain the change. Later in the learning sequence students will test their ideas about cause and effect relationships.
Ask questions about patterns and cause and effect of a chain reaction.
Provide chart paper and markers to each group and ask them to create a model of one section of the mousetrap that involves at least 3 changes. Ask them to describe how the mousetrap works in their section. Look for their models to include a drawing of the mousetrap sections and labels for the parts. Look for some explanation of the cause and effect relationships including forces can change object speed or direction of motion (grade 3).
Expected Student Responses: What is the fewest number of chain reactions you could use to make a mousetrap? What else besides forces makes a mousetrap work? How fast does a chain reaction have to be to move things? Can a chain reaction be slow? In the video, how did the windshield wipers turn on after the banana hits them? Does the mousetrap always work?
Reflect on the student’s prior knowledge about how to generate questions based on their observations, a K–2 grade band element of asking questions.
Then assess how students are thinking about questions that might lead to an investigation, a 3–5 grade band element of asking questions. The remainder of this 3–5 grade band element of asking questions (which states that students predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships) is NOT part of this prior knowledge prompt, but it is a skill that will be developed in this learning sequence.
It is okay at this point in the learning sequence if this energy discussion is tentative. Students will strengthen their ideas in the next lessons.
If the students don’t mention energy, it is okay to skip Steps 17 and 18; energy will begin to be addressed in Lesson 2: Oops!
The Our Thinking So Far chart will be modified as students go through the learning sequence. Thinking will be revised, changed completely, or added to.
Reflect on the student ideas and take note of IF and HOW the ideas below are shared in the student models. Do not expect this language on the models at this point! Students will build their academic language over the course of the learning sequence. If these ideas are expressed in the student models, or the class chart, consider how to build on them as you facilitate the next lessons.
Also, take note of students’ prior knowledge about the science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts. Be sure to reflect on student knowledge and understanding of these elements that will be:
These will be more fully developed in the learning sequence.
Stem Teaching Tools. (n.d.). Talk Science Printable. Retrieved from http://stemteachingtools.org/assets/landscapes/TalkSciencePrintable.pdf
TNTuxedoBlog. (March 10, 2012). Tom and Jerry–Rube Goldberg Fail. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvnEBX9aedY&feature=youtu.be
RUBE GOLDBERG® is a registered trademark of Rube Goldberg, Inc. All materials used with permission. rubegoldberg.com
Overview
Procedure