Name: Taylor Faulkner

Class: ELED 3224

Date: 10/27/17

Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Rube Goldbergs Machines

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Central Focus/Big Idea:

What are the 6 simple machines and how can we use simple machines to make everyday life
easier for us?

Subject of this lesson: Simple Machines

Grade Level: 4th

NC Essential Standard(s):
4-PS3-3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when
objects collide.
4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one
form to another.

21st Century Skills:

Creativity and Innovation: Students provide concrete examples of science by using simple
machines as a way of thinking that involves both systematic and creative processes that anyone
can apply as they ask questions, solve problems, invent things like their own Rube Goldberg
machine, and develop ideas about the world around them.

Communication: Students prepare and interpret a variety of methods for demonstrating

understanding and explaining the results of investigations. This would include the small group
Rube Goldberg machine blueprint as well as the notes that they take from the videos.

Academic Language Demand

Language Function:

Analyze Argue Categorize Compare/contrast Describe Explain

Interpret Predict Question Retell Summarize
Students will need to be able to predict how their simple machine works in their Rube Goldberg
machines and what the outcome would be.
Scientific Vocabulary:
Machine (if not already), Rube Goldberg, work,
Instructional Objective:
Students are expected to be able to explain what the 6 simple machines are and who Rube
Goldberg is. Students must achieve an 6 out of 8 on summative individual assessment.
Prior Knowledge (student): What is a machine?

Content Knowledge (teacher):

Teacher should know Who Rube Goldberg is and what he is famous for. They should know the 6
simple machines and some real-life examples of them. They should know the basics of work and
how machines create less who for us.
Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group):
For students with special needs I can walk around to their groups and make sure their peers are
helping me help them stay involved. If needed, I can pull for a small group or one on one after
the lesson to clarify understanding.

Materials and Technology requirements:

Index Cards for each student, Rube Goldberg machine worksheet for each small group, the
PowerPoint, videos, paper for each student, pencil for each student

Total Estimated Time: 30 mins

Source of lesson:
https://media.rubegoldberg.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Rube-Goldberg-Lesson-
Plans.pdf
https://www.education.com/download/worksheet/105717/rube-goldberg-machines.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pMXRNGaGx0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=qybUFnY7Y8w

Safety considerations:
I will make sure that everyone is included and participating in the activity (bullying in small
group maybe).
 Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.

Engage:
Open up PowerPoint and tell students Today we will be learning about Rube Goldberg and
simple machines. Read slide with rube Goldberg info. Then tell students I am about to play a
video that tells you what the six different simple machines are. You must pay attention to the
video and make notes in your journal if needed because I am going to be asking you some
questions about simple machines after.
Next Slide: Play video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pMXRNGaGx0
After the video, Ask students:
What is a Rube Goldberg Machine? (A Rube Goldberg Machine is a comically involved,
complicated invention, laboriously contrived to perform a simple operation.)
What are the 6 Simple Machines? (The 6 Simple Machines are: wedge, screw, lever, wheel and
axel, inclined plane and pulley.)
What do Simple Machines do? (Simple machines make work easier for us by allowing us to push
or pull over increased distances. They help humans increase and/or redirect the force applied to
an object. The main benefit of machines is that they allow us to do the same amount of work by
applying a smaller amount of force over a greater distance.)

Explore:
Next Slide: Tell students Now its your turn! With the
people at your table you will have 10 minutes to draw a
blueprint for a possible Rube Goldberg machine, but you must
use at least two simple machines but try to use all six in your
blueprint and identify them.
Pass out Rube Goldbergs Machines worksheet and let
students get to work.
To get students started show students an example (on the
PowerPoint) and some things to keep in mind:
Which simple machines should we use?
What problem are we going to solve?
How will solve this problem?
Teacher will then go around and check for understand by asking
questions like:
How will this (drawing) help to get your problem solved?
Why does this simple machine (whichever they used) work for your blueprint?
Explanation:
Transition from explore when 10 minutes is up. Ask groups to share briefly what problem they
fixed with their Rube Goldberg machine and how. For example, the self-operating napkin on the
worksheet. The problem that they solved was using a napkin yourself; now you can eat and do
other things while the machine uses the napkin for you. They fixed this problem by using all 6
simple machines! After studnet sharing, ask students to volunteer their answers to questions like
What was the most challenging part of this? How could you have improved your machine?
Where did you include the 6 simple machines?

Elaborate:
To transition to the elaborate phase, next slide: play the this too shall pass video. Tell students
Please get out a piece of paper, we are going to watch a video of a real-life Rube Goldberg
machine. On the paper, you must write down as many examples you see of when a simple
machine is used in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=qybUFnY7Y8w
Ask students questions like: What simple machines did you see the people in the video use?
How important is the design of a Rube Goldberg machine and why? Any other observations
that you made about the machine in the video?

Evaluate:
Next Slide:
(Summative) Exit Ticket: Tell what a Rube Goldberg machine is and which 6 simple machines
are included in his machines.
Throughout lesson:
(Formative) Consult groups about their thoughts and ideas with the blueprint. Walk around and
answer questions they may have about the simple machines.

Students will receive:

1 point for each simple machine
2 points for explanation of a Rube Goldberg machine
Students are expected to receive 6 out of 8

To be completed after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:

Reflection on lesson:

CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________