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Chain Reactions From Household Materials & Toys (Ages 8-12)
Jay Mankita, Playful Engineers
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(47)
During this entertaining and informative class, students will learn fundamentals of DIY table-top chain reactions & Rube Goldberg Machines - fun, overcomplicated chain reactions that accomplish a simple task.
Class experience
In this informative and entertaining class, I introduce students to my own thinking and best practices for building floor and table-top chain reactions and Rube Goldberg Machines from their own stuff. This will be valuable for beginners, and experienced builders alike. I assemble and demonstrate my favorite machine parts live, and add video examples of some of my more complex builds. We'll review how basic force and motion principles are expressed as the objects interact with each other....
Students will improve their grasp of: 1) cause and effect. 2) how complex systems are made from simpler parts, and how we can better understand systems by breaking the parts down and analyzing their functions. 3) How the six classical Simple Machines can be recognized and utilized in our builds. 4) why failure is a necessary part of learning and progress, and how to build patience and perseverance into our practice. 5) the value of beginning a project with the end in mind.
No materials are necessary for this introductory class. Here is a list of suggested materials though for optional pre/post class building. This is just a partial list of possibilities - use your imagination, but please remember safety first for yourselves and others, and don't break anything fragile or important! Surfaces: table, floor, shelf, counter, flat board... Tools: drill, ruler, scissors, hot glue gun, hole punchers... Toys: Hot Wheels Tracks, Tinker Toys, K’Nex, Legos, dominoes, popsicle sticks, railroad tracks, marble runs, action figures... Tracks: cardboard, stretched rubber bands, booktops... Balls: marble, ping pong ball, golf ball, rubber ball, rolled up aluminum foil, baseball, tennis ball... Bases and Building Blocks: blocks, scrap wood, cans, boxes, bins, chairs, stools... Tubes: Paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls... Fasteners: rubber bands, glue, hot glue, tape, brass fasteners, string, wire (from clothes hangars), clamps, clothespins, twist ties, pipe cleaners, magnets... Pullers: string, chain (lightweight), ribbon, floss, fishing line, shoelace, tape... Rollers: balls, plastic containers, toy wheels, toy cars, fruits & vegetables, cans, tubes, dowels, cone shapes, lids, tape rolls, tape roll inserts, nuts & bolts, discs, paper wheels, spools... Dominoes: dominoes, clothespins, CD cases, cassette tape cases, books, folded playing cards... Weights: dominoes, stones, blocks, coins... Spinners: blocks with holes (bushings), rods, pen and marker housings and caps, things that turn freely like swivels (lazy Susans)...
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
I'll be sharing my own original videos from my Rube Goldberg collection
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(47)
I'm Jay Mankita, a lifelong learner, maker, musician, and tinkerer, and the dad in my homeschooling family. I'm also a professional teaching artist with over 30 years of experience, having presented programs in more than 2,500 schools and...
Group Class
$15
per classMeets once
50 min
Completed by 14 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
3-18 learners per class
