Rube Goldberg Contest Challenges

GATES Students At NMS

On the evening of May 24, students in the GATES (gifted and talented) program participated in the Rube Goldberg Contest. Rube Goldberg, 1883–1970, began his career as an engineer, but his love of cartooning prevailed. He is most famous for his drawings of contraptions that perform a simple task through a lengthy, convoluted series of steps, as in the game Mousetrap.

The GATES students were given the task of crumpling or tearing an 8.5-by-11-inch piece of paper and placing it in a recycle bin — in a minimum of 15 steps. Each team could solve the problem however they chose. Teams each had a mentor to help them troubleshoot and determine the best solution.

Materials used were all readily available at school or home. Each team selected its own theme. The machines turned out to be a reflection of the personalities of the students that built them.