Klaire Kovatch, Emily Howard and Lexi Sunderland's machine built anticipation as the marbles slowly rolled down the incline and dropped into the red cup. When the cup dropped it hit the mousetrap that moved the hand offering a piece of candy.
Shannon Haworth added a cup of water to the top blue funnel that started a chain reaction ending with the milk jug tiggering the blender to make the smoothie by her partner Jordan Johnson.
Eric Lorentz's machine sliced a banana. Lorentz worked by himself, instead of with a partner. His father Chris said he spent the better part of two days building the machine.
Owen Mercado's Alley Oop project used simple machines to make a basket.
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) junior high students shared their final science projects Wednesday, Jan. 18 at the SLE Science Fair.
Eighth grade students built Rube Goldberg machines to demonstrate their understanding of forces and motion. The seventh grade students each researched and presented on one plant and one animal that lives in the Morrell Creek ecosystem.
The eighth-graders built Rube Goldberg machines, a contraption, invention, device, or apparatus that is deliberately over-engineered to perform a simple task in a complicated fashion, generally including a chain reaction. The machine had to successfully complete a task in eight steps using five or more levers, wheel and axles, pulley, inclined planes, wedges and screws, all simple machines. Each student explained how Newton's three Laws of Motion applied to his or her project.
Junior High Science Teacher Patti Bartlett used the Rube Goldberg Build as the final project for the semester because she wanted a hands-on project where the students show mastery of simple machines. Students designed their project, engineered it and built it making several adjustments to complete the task.
Students had the choice to either work in a group or by themselves. Jordan Johnson and Shannon Haworth's machine started with a cup of water and ended with a blender making a smoothie.
Haworth said building their machine was a challenge. The marble had to hit the car hard enough to make it go. They adjusted their incline to build the momentum they needed to move the toy car.
Johnson said her room had sawdust everywhere when they were building it. They also made a lot of smoothies, their favorite being strawberry banana.
"It was a lot of fun," said Haworth.
Seventh-graders studied life science this semester. They discussed habitat and ecosystem with a focus on Morrell Creek. The students researched a plant and animal from its cellular structure to their habitat and how they are used by humans. They presented their research along with a scale model.
"Both projects are so much better than a final paper," said Bartlett. "And they are a lot more fun."
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