SCHOOL NEWS 570.398.1561 • www. jsasd. org
JERSEY SHORE AREA
SCHOOL NEWS 570.398.1561 • www. jsasd. org
Jersey Shore Elementary Students Take on the Rube Goldberg Challenge
Marbles in Motion by Jennifer Berry-Propst, Assistant Principal, Jersey Shore Elementary
Mrs. Aungst, third grade teacher at Jersey Shore Elementary, spearheaded the project that ignited interest and curiosity.“ The centerpiece of the challenge was the " Rube Challenge Marble Run," in which students designed and constructed a complex marble run that functions as a Rube Goldberg machine. In this activity, participants use everyday household items to build a contraption that accomplishes a simple task through a series of chain reactions. The project not only introduces students to fundamental STEAM concepts but also allows them to engage in creative engineering and critical thinking as they work together to develop inventive solutions.”
Mrs. Aungst collaborated with elementary principal, Ms. Johnston, and assistant principal, Mrs. Berry-Propst to map out what the challenge would look like and how to differentiate for K-2. Kindergarten, first, and second grade classes had the opportunity to create a Rube Goldberg contraption during their STEAM classes with Mrs. Wert, in March. Kindergarten and first grade students were provided dominos, Keva planks, rulers, cups, and ping pong balls. Second grade students built a contraption with dominos, Keva Planks, rulers, toy cars, and balloons.
To capitalize on student interest and maximize time, students in third through fifth grade had the opportunity to enter a pop-up challenge. Students entered their“ Canine Cash”( Token economy connected to JSE’ s school-wide positive behavior program), for a chance to be chosen to build the marble run wall.
On April Fool’ s Day, students selected for the pop-up challenge worked collaboratively by grade level. After a quick brainstorming session with their teams, there was a flurry of color, tissue paper, cardboard tubes, pipe cleaners, and tape. In just over an hour, the marble runs were ready to be tested! The final stage of the project will be having the student body view the videos of each marble run and vote on their favorite creations. Mrs. Route, our computer, information, and technology teacher, helped with all the video creations for the project.
A special thank you to all our families who donated materials for the marble run creations. In just one week, the school received a generous amount of paper towel rolls, toilet tissue tubes, and empty tissue boxes. Mrs. Aungst was pleased with the overall project,“ This experience not only highlighted STEAM’ s practical relevance but also fostered a supportive environment where students could develop essential skills through direct participation.”
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