Rube+Goldberg+Inventions+(Eric+Wenninger)

Eric Wenninger April 6, 2014
 * How My List Helped Enrich My Rube Goldberg Unit **

The trade books and websites I chose went along with a unit on Rube Goldberg Inventions that I do with my HSED physical science class. We study kinetic and potential energy, energy transfer and conversion, and simple machines. Rube Goldberg inventions afford students a wonderful opportunity to show they know these concepts and describe them in writing. I also like how Rube Goldberg blended science with art. The comical nature of his inventions makes the whole process fun to study. The trade books I selected covered a wide variety of topics that are contained within this unit including the history of Rube Goldberg, influences of the arts on science, and general science concepts. I particularly enjoyed looking at the "how to" books that help facilitate student creativity. The website are a great addition as well. I have used the physics classroom several times in class and played a Rube Goldberg video from Mythbusters. There are also good articles available on the sites that I used with my students. __Nonfiction Trade Books__ • The Art of Rube Goldberg //by Jennifer George –// A coffee table book that describes Rube Goldberg’s work as an inventor and cartoonist. It also includes essays by comics historians and other letters and memorabilia. • Rube Goldberg: Inventions! //by Maynard Frank Wolfe –// This book describes the influence Rube Goldberg has had on science, art, and language. • Foolish Questions //by Rube Goldberg –// “Foolish Questions” was Rube Goldberg’s single-panel comic. The comic presented answers to foolish questions people pose. This book presents the collection of the “Foolish Questions” comic. • Gizmos & Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions That Work (& Knowing Why) //by Jill Frankel Hauser –// This book provides instructions for making contraptions to demonstrate various principles of physics like energy and motion. Readability: Grade 3 • The Art of Tinkering //by Karen Wilkinson and Mike Petrich –// This book presents the stories of inventors and their inventions. It shows how to make creations that are both scientific and works of art. • Build a Better Mousetrap: Make Classic Inventions, Discover your Problem Solving Genius, and Take the Inventor's Challenge //by Ruth Kassinger –// This book reveals the insights involved in many historic inventions and helps readers gain problem-solving skills as they seek to make their own inventions. • Making Things Move DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists //by Dustyn Roberts –// This book presents the materials and instructions needed to build moving mechanisms for projects of various levels of difficulty. • Forms of Energy //by Anna Claybourne –// This book describes the different kinds of energy, how energy is moved and stored, and how energy can be used to power different machines. • Kinetic and Potential Energy: Understanding Changes Within Physical Systems //by Jennifer Viegas –// This book offers explanations of important concepts in high school physics related to kinetic and potential energy. • How Machines Work: The Interactive Guide to Simple Machines and Mechanisms //by Nick Arnold and Allan Sanders –// This interactive book describes the principles for 12 basic machines and presents instructions for their assembly. __Websites__ • Rube Goldberg - [] - This website contains biographical information about Rube Goldberg, access to his many cartoons and inventions, and information regarding invention competitions. • The Physics Classroom - [] - This website contains tutorials on a variety of physics topics. It includes many diagrams and videos to helps students access information. • How to Build a Homemade Rube Goldberg Machine - [] - This website presents steps for making a Rube Goldberg invention including common materials students can use in their invention. • Edheads: Activate Your Mind! - [] - This website is a resource that provides science activities that promote critical thinking. • Mythbusters: The Explosive Exhibition - [] - This website contains information regarding the touring museum exhibit of the popular Discovery channel series, Mythbusters. It contains a variety of student and educator support materials.