Name: ________________________

Group Members: _______________________________

MANDAMA PRIMARY SCHOOL
GRADE 6

YOUR TASK
Your team must construct a Rube Goldberg machine that completes the simple task of
ringing a bell. You will compete against all other year 6s to be crowned the RUBE
GOLDBERG MACHINE CONTEST CHAMPIONS!
Your team will be judged on the planning, construction and demonstration of your
machine as well as the presentation of a video and poster documenting the making and
testing of your machine. Each group member will complete this report and the group will
complete a video report and poster together.
Because this is a group task, you will be expected to complete a significant amount of
work. The following is a list of all of the requirements that you must complete to receive
full marks in this unit.
Booklet: Each team member will receive an individual score
Cause and effect activity
Materials Plan
Labeled draft diagram
Step planning sheets
Final labeled diagram
Predictions of machine success (presented in tally, graph, pie chart etc)
Final materials list
Final machine success rate (presented in a tally, graph, pie chart etc)
Group assessment
Self-assessment
Reflections

/2
/2
/5
/5
/5
/5
/2
/5
/2
/2
/5
/40

Poster or Video: Each team member will receive a score for one of the following

Video
Progress shots of your team testing and making the machine
/5
Step-by-step explanation of how the machine work

/5

Your predictions about the success rate of the machine

/3

Unsuccessful and successful trials of the machine

/5

The final success rate

/2
/20

Poster
Progress shots of your team testing and making the machine
Labeled draft diagram or flow chart showing the steps of the machine

/5
/5

Labeled final diagram or flow chart showing the steps of the machine

/5

Predictions and final success rate

/5
/20

Machine: Each person in the group will receive the same score.
1 point
Creativity

2 points

3 points

4 points

Steps lack
imagination

Most steps are

interesting but
some lack
imagination
Most items
sourced from
school or home

The steps are all

entertaining and
unique

10 or more steps
with different
parts that are
easily completed
Machine stays
upright but has
some parts that fall
off
Completes the task
1 out of 10
attempts

15 or more steps,
each different and
have a high degree
of difficulty
Machine has all
parts together and
is easily
reassembled
Completes the task
1 out of 5 attempts

Use of
every day
items
Complexity

Less than 10
steps

10 steps that are

all similar

Sturdiness

Machine doesnt
stand up

Some of the
machine stays
together well

Doesnt complete
the assigned
task

Completes the task

1 out of 20
attempts

Reliability

Score

All items sourced

from school or
home

/ 20

Total score and feedback:

/80

GUILDELINES
Your
-
-
-
-
-

machine will be judged on:

Creativity
Use of everyday items
Complexity
Sturdiness (the machine stays together)
Reliability (success rate)

Rules
The machine must:
1. Complete the assigned task (ring a bell)
2. Have a minimum of 10 steps (maximum 30)
3. Have a maximum run time of 2 minutes
4. Not use any electricity
5. Be safe for participants and observers
6. Not include any hazardous substances or flames
7. Be less than 2 meters high and cover 3m x 3m total area