Crazy Contraptions 2.0 Activity
SKU# 1825-89
Gears turn, lifting a lever, releasing a marble, igniting a chain-reaction of learning and fun as kids design their own Rube Goldberg-inspired Crazy Contraptions! Kids will explore simple machines like never before, easily connecting them, customizing them, and repositioning them on TeacherGeek’s unique new contraption base. Just slide the machines in and out of position! Done with the activity? The bases and machines are easy to store for use year-after-year. It's the simplest way to craft the craziest contraptions!
Age Range
Customize this activity for the highlighted ages with tons of free labs and challenges!
This is an educational product and not a toy. Adult supervision is required.
Videos
Documents
Click on the flowchart to view documents from each category.
Go Guide:
Give it to your students and go! This is the essential document to get students started.
| Go Guide PDF DOCX | Start here! Kids build their frames, experiment with machines, and optionally customize them to create their own unique contraption! |
Labs:
| Mechanical Advantage Reference Sheet: | Students feel mechanical advantage and have the option of calculating it. This is a great resource to use concurrently with a challenge. |
Challenges:
| Chain Reaction Challenge: | Kids compete to see who can create the most convoluted contraption possible. The contraption with the most machines wins! |
| Story Telling Challenge: | Kids plot and use their contraptions to bring life and movement to their own stories! |
Other Resources:
| STEM Rubric PDF DOCX | Use the STEM Rubric to assess any TeacherGeek project. |
| STEAM Market-It Challenge PDF DOCX | Add the STEAM Market-It Challenge to any completed TeacherGeek activity to teach students how to turn their TeacherGeek design into a retail product. Students will learn the 4 'Ps' of marketing - Product, Placement, Price and Promotion. Students have the option of completing a commercial, a billboard or retail packaging as a summative assessment. |
| Engineering Notebooks Simple Version Full Version | Available at two different learning levels, TeacherGeek Engineering Notebooks are designed to help students cycle through the Design & Engineering Process and help them innovate and invent new designs. Use an Engineering Notebook page for each iteration of design. We recommend keeping extra copies of this on-hand for kids during activities. |
Things You'll Need
You're going to need some stuff, but don't sweat it! You probably have it already.
Click a tab below to choose how you will complete this activity - that determines what you'll need.
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You will need to pre-cut the dowels for this activity, or your kids can cut them (with adult supervision).
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TeacherGeek Tools
REQUIRED
Screw Driver
Drive screws into holes.
optional
Slip Joint Pliers
Grab nuts, bend
wires, etc.
optional
Multi-Cutter
Cut dowels, strips,
recycling bin items, etc.
optional
Reamer
Ream splines (teeth),
from holes so
dowels spin freely.
optional
Mini Hammer
Tap dowels into
other components.
Other Supplies
- Scissors
- Tape
- Recycling Bin Materials (optional - to incorporate into your designs)
Activity Pack Components
What comes with the Activity Pack?
The table shows what comes in each single kit. To see what comes in a 10-pack, just multiply by 10.
Science, Math & Engineering Standards
TeacherGeek products fit proposals, grants or lesson plans with ease! Explore more resources below:
| NGSS Standards Spreadsheet: PDF DOCX |
NGSS standards matrix for all TeacherGeek activities. |
| ITEEA Standards Spreadsheet: PDF DOCX |
ITEEA standards matrix for all TeacherGeek activities. |
