RubeGoldbergChallenge

BrauerCollegeErynneEwenson,AnnaGage,DeliaJenkins,DebraLaurenson,SteveMalikoff

Year7Science

TheContext

• BrauerCollege• Year7• CoastFM,WarrnamboolStandard,Parents• Science- Forces• Improvingtaskcollaborationskills

Background:WesawthisasanopportunitytodevelopsomecollaborativeproblemsolvingskillsinourstudentswhilestillcoveringthecontentoftheSciencecourse.Itwasalsoanopportunityforustotrysomethingdifferentandtogivestudentsmoreownershipoftheirlearning.

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CompetitionDayVideo

Whatwasdone:• Thestudentswerepresentedwithadesign

briefthatrequiredthemtoworkcollaborativelytoresearchandconstructaRubeGoldbergMachine.

Length:• 5 WeeksduringtimetabledScienceclassesof3

X47minperiodsperweek.

TheTaskYear7RubeGoldbergChallenge– DesignBrief

YouworkasapartofadesignteamforWorld-renownedwatchmakersRolex.TheircompanyisbasedinSwitzerlandbutyouareapartoftheirAustralianteamandhavebeenselectedforaveryimportantchallenge.

Rolexareverywellknownfortheirperfectionandtheamazinglyaccuratetimepiecestheycreate.Theyarealsoaverygenerouscompanyandsponsormanydifferenteventsaroundtheworld.OneofthemostfamousistheRolexSydneytoHobartyachtraceheldonBoxingDayeachyear.

Atthestartoftheracetherearetwogunsfired,fiveminutesapart.Thefirstgunisthe‘fiveminute’warninggun,whichtellscompetitorsthatthestartgunwillfireinexactlyfiveminutestime.Itisimperativethatthestartgungoesoffexactlyfiveminutesafterthewarninggunorsomeoftheboatsmayeitherbenotcloseenoughtothelinetogetagoodstartormayactuallycrossthelinetooearlyandbepenalised.

Rolexareafterateamofpeopletodesignadevicethatmeasuresexactlyfiveminutes,sotheyknowthatthesecondgunisfiredexactlyfiveminutesafterthefirst.

Todeterminewhichteamwillbechosenasthewinnersofthedesign,allteamsmustbuildaprototypedevicethatmeasuresexactly20seconds.Thewinningteamwillbeinvitedtoworkonthe‘fiveminute’devicebasedontheirprototypedesign.

Thecriteriaforthedesignare:

1– Itmustaccuratelymeasure20secondsonthreeconsecutiveoccasions.2– Itmustshowcreativityandingenuityandcombineatleast4differentstages.3– Itmustbeconfinedtoaspacenobiggerthanoneclassroomdeskandonemeteroffloorspacearoundit.

Thetaskcontinued…

Contentgoals(AusVELS):

• Identifyquestionsandproblemsthatcanbeinvestigatedscientificallyandmakepredictionsbasedonscientificknowledge.

• Scienceknowledgecandevelopthroughcollaborationandconnectingideasacrossthedisciplinesofscience.

• Changetoanobject’smotioniscausedbyunbalancedforcesactingontheobject.

• Collaborativelyandindividuallyplanandconductarangeofinvestigationtypes,includingfieldworkandexperiments,ensuringsafetyandethicalguidelinesarefollowed.

• Communicateideas,findingsandsolutionstoproblemsusingscientificlanguageandrepresentationsusingdigitaltechnologiesasappropriate.

• Reflectonthemethodusedtoinvestigateaquestionorsolveaproblem,includingevaluatingthequalityofthedatacollected,andidentifyimprovementstothemethod.

Thetaskcontinued…

Thetaskcontinued…

Pedagogicalpractices–• Collaboration• RealWorldScenariosDEPTH– Studentsdidalotofworkunderstandingwhatcollaborationisandthespecificskillsrequiredtobeagoodcollaborator.TheythenputthisintoactionusingarealworldscenariowithataskthatchallengedthemtolearnabouttheScienceinvolved.

Learningpartnerships–ThisactivityinvolvedalltheYear7Scienceclassesandtheirteachers.OurTechnologyKLAassistedwithsomescrapmaterials,especiallywood.Wealsohadthesupportofthelocalradiostation(CoastFM)asoneoftheirpresentersisinvolvedintheCollege’sStandingTallprogram.HeadvertisedourChallengeDayforusandinterviewedoutstudentsontheradioaboutthewhattheyhadbeendoinginpreparation.OntheChallengeDayourlocalnewspaper(TheStandard)cameanddidanarticleforusandwewerealsosupportedbyourparentsthroughoutthepreparationbysupplyingmaterials.Anumberofparentsalsoattendedtowatchontheday.

Leveragingdigital–• Internet- Forresearch• YouTube– Forresearch• Padlet – Forformativeassessment• GoogleDocs– Forsharingideasandcollaboration

Learningenvironments–• Reallynoisy(veryproductive)classrooms• SchoolGymforChallengeDay

Thetasksc

ore

TheAssessmentRubricwasdevelopedinconjunctionwiththestudents.TheyhelpedformthecriteriabasedontheDesignBriefandcontributedtoattributestheyfeltneededtobeshownforeachofthedifferentgradingscales.

Eachclassdiscussedthisindifferentwaysandprovidedfeedbacktotheteachersbeforetherubricwasfinalised.

StudentsSelfassessedthefirstthreecriteriaasteamsandthefinalcomponentwasteacherassessed.

AssessmentapproachesusedAssessmenttoinformpractitionersinplanninganddeliveringprogressivelearningopportunities.

• StudentscompletedaSelfAssessmentSheettoevaluatetheirSocialandCognitiveCollaborationskills.(DesignedaroundthetheoriesinvolvedwiththeMelbourneUniversityCPStaskstohelpidentifythezoneofproximaldevelopmentforeachstudentinrelationtotheirSocialandCognitiveskilllevelsinrelationtoCollaboration.)

Assessmentapproachesused

Assessmenttoinformpractitionersinplanninganddeliveringprogressivelearningopportunities.

• StudentssharedwhattheyalreadyknewaboutCollaborationandhowitdiffersfromGroupWork.

• ThiswasdoneusingPadlet.

AssessmentapproachesusedAssessmentthatenableslearnerstoseeandappreciatetheprogressthattheyhavemade andpromotefurtherlearninganddevelopment.

• Videofootageofprogress.• Progressivechecksagainsttheassessmentrubric.• Peercontributionstotheirdesigns,byobservations.