A Rube Goldberg machine, of course!
Named for early 20th century cartoonist of the same name, a Rube Golberg machine is a complicated and often ridiculous machine constructed to perform a very simple task.
As in this Rube Goldberg original:
The explanation from Wikipedia:
"The "Self-Operating Napkin" is activated when soup spoon (A) is raised to mouth, pulling string (B) and thereby jerking ladle (C), which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights automatic cigar lighter (J), setting off skyrocket (K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow pendulum with attached napkin to swing back and forth, thereby wiping chin."
What, do you ask, does this have to do with Jump-Start With Art?
Oh, my. I had hoped you would have learned enough already to not need to ask that question.
Rube Goldberg machines are ALL about creativity! There is even an annual Rube Goldberg competition that is entered by college science departments from all over the country. So there's crossover there--science meets art.
We categorize this type of creativity under 'Design,' which is what Maren chose today. She wasn't too thrilled about that choice at first. But when we decided to explore the wonderful and entertaining world of the Rube Goldberg machine, her interest piqued.
We began by viewing one of THE most amazing (and large) Rube Goldberg machines I have ever seen. It's in a music video by the music group OK Go, titled This Too Shall Pass. Here it is:
THIS TOO SHALL PASS
Holy cow!!
After watching this, and a few other Youtube videos, we began the process of designing our own Rube Goldberg machine that will crack a hard-boiled egg. How very ridiculously unnecessary a task is that? In future days we'll work on that machine, probably designing from the end backwards. I imagine we'll be cracking a lot of eggs before we're through.
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