Simple Machines

We have started a new science unit, learning about simple machines. A simple machine is defined as anything used to make work easier, that has one working part or no working parts. We started the unit by reading a couple books just on the general subject of simple machines, so Blaze could have a basic understanding of what the term means.






Then we watched this episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy, which was split into 3 parts on YouTube, which explains simple machines.









Thinking about simple machines, made me think of some complicated machines that are made from a series of simple machines. I guess this can be counted as an art history lesson of sorts, I introduced Blaze to the work of cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who drew very detailed, ridiculously complex machines, that preformed very simple tasks.




I found this great little film from 1940 that not only shows cartoonist Rube Goldberg drawing some of his marvelously complex machines, but also shows how power comes from gasoline ( back in the days when gas supplies were described as being "almost limitless" ).




Classic Sesame Street Rube Goldberg Alphabet


When I explained what Rube Goldberg machines were to one of the 7th graders at school, he told me about this on-line game with Tom and Jerry. It's an animated version of the classic board game Mouse Trap.

Tom's Trap-O-Matic