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Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
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Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy
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What others say

"This was an excellent, engaging resource for middle school. I used it as a culmination project for my simple machines unit and students loved every minute. "
star
Heath L.
"My students were engaged during the 2 class periods we worked on and I loved listening to their conversations as the worked. "
star
Amy M.

Description



This low-prep, hands-on Rube Goldberg STEM project allows students to explore kinetic energy transfer, forces, motion, and simple machines. Designed with clear project directions and detailed assessment rubrics, this engaging activity helps students develop critical thinking and engineering skills while staying organized throughout the process. Perfect for teachers looking to integrate energy transfer concepts into a fun and educational project-based learning experience. Need help with end goal ideas? Rube Goldberg STRUCTURED STEM PROJECT CHOICE BOARD What is the End Goal?

What’s Included in This Resource:

Teacher Notes: Detailed guidance on implementing the engineering design project in your classroom, including tips for facilitating student engagement and maintaining focus.

Project Directions: Clear, step-by-step instructions for students to follow as they design and build their STEM Rube Goldberg machines, ensuring they understand the objectives and expectations.

Brainstorming Session: A structured brainstorming session with guiding questions to help students plan their projects. A corresponding rubric is provided to assess the quality of their ideas and planning process.

Daily Journal Cards: Students use these cards to document their daily progress, helping them reflect on their work and stay on track.

Daily Project Assessment Cards: Rubrics for teachers to assess each student’s progress daily, ensuring that everyone is making meaningful contributions and staying engaged with the project.

Organizational Pages: Space for students to sketch their designs, write descriptions, and organize their ideas, promoting a thorough and thoughtful engineering process.

Self-Assessment: A form for students to evaluate their own performance at the end of the project, encouraging self-reflection and personal accountability.

Video Assessment Rubric (Updated): A rubric specifically designed for assessing video presentations of the final Rube Goldberg machines, allowing students to showcase their work creatively.

Final Project Rubric: A comprehensive rubric for grading the completed Rube Goldberg machines, covering all aspects of the project from design and execution to presentation and understanding of kinetic energy transfer.

Why This Resource Works:

This structured approach to the Rube Goldberg project ensures that students stay organized and focused throughout the engineering process, allowing them to fully explore the concepts of forces, motion, and kinetic energy transfer. The inclusion of detailed rubrics, assessment tools, and organizational resources provides both students and teachers with a clear framework for success, making this an ideal project for any forces and motion unit.

Please visit my blog to see how I use this resource in my classroom. How to Create a Rube Goldberg Unit plus a Free Simple Machines Review Set.

Simple Machines Resources:

🔶Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt | NGSS MS-PS2-1 | Digital or Printable Activity

🔶Types of Simple Machines Exit Tickets Review Assessment

🔶Simple Machine Coloring Pages-Discussion Starters

🔶Types of Simple Machines Examples Photo Card Sort Gallery Review or Assessment

🔶Types of Simple Machines Bingo Game

🔶Simple Machines Unit Bundle of 5 Fun Activities

Rube Goldberg Machine Resources:

🔷Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion and Energy

🔷Rube Goldberg Structured Stem Project Choice Board What is the End Goal?

🔷Ecosystem Energy Transfer STEM Activity | Food Chains and Rube Goldberg Challenge

🔷Rube Goldberg OCEAN Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Project Activity

🔷Rube Goldberg Forest Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Project Activity

🔷Rube Goldberg Desert Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Project Activity

🔷Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | African Savanna Food Chain Energy Transfer

🔷Rube Goldberg Arctic Tundra Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Activity

🔷Rainforest Energy Transfer STEM Challenge | Ecosystem Food Chain Rube Goldberg

I would love your feedback if you purchase this product! Thank you!


There are several methods I use to get this resource to students.

  1. Since this is a PowerPoint, I simply upload it into a Google slides presentation and share it on Google Classroom with each individual student. The students can then copy which slides they want and paste them into their own Google Slides unit presentation and add text boxes.
  2. You can export the PowerPoint into images and then send the images to them in Google Classroom.
  3. You can download the PowerPoint into images and place all of the images into a Google Drive folder to share with the students.
  4. If you are using iPads, in the same room as the students, you can simply AirDrop the images, Powerpoint or Google Slides presentation to their iPads .

If you have any questions at all, as to how to use these, please contact me at Karensinai2@gmail.com and I am more than happy to help you!

Feedback

**Did you know that you can save money on TpT resources by leaving feedback? Go to your “My Purchases“ page and leave feedback on the resources you’ve purchased to earn TpT credits! 

Copyright

Each purchase is a license for ONE person to use in a classroom setting. It is a violation for individuals, schools and districts to redistribute, edit, sell, or post this item on the Internet or to other individuals. Disregarding the copyright is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright  Act and subject to legal action. By purchasing this product you acknowledge that you have read and understood these terms of use. 

Report this resource to TPT
Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Report this resource to let us know if this resource violates TPT's content guidelines.
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Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion & Energy

Science by Sinai
1.9k Followers
$3.75

Highlights

Digital downloads
Grades icon
Grades
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Standards
Pages
15
Teaching Duration
1 Week

What others say

"This was an excellent, engaging resource for middle school. I used it as a culmination project for my simple machines unit and students loved every minute. "
star
Heath L.
"My students were engaged during the 2 class periods we worked on and I loved listening to their conversations as the worked. "
star
Amy M.

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Description



This low-prep, hands-on Rube Goldberg STEM project allows students to explore kinetic energy transfer, forces, motion, and simple machines. Designed with clear project directions and detailed assessment rubrics, this engaging activity helps students develop critical thinking and engineering skills while staying organized throughout the process. Perfect for teachers looking to integrate energy transfer concepts into a fun and educational project-based learning experience. Need help with end goal ideas? Rube Goldberg STRUCTURED STEM PROJECT CHOICE BOARD What is the End Goal?

What’s Included in This Resource:

Teacher Notes: Detailed guidance on implementing the engineering design project in your classroom, including tips for facilitating student engagement and maintaining focus.

Project Directions: Clear, step-by-step instructions for students to follow as they design and build their STEM Rube Goldberg machines, ensuring they understand the objectives and expectations.

Brainstorming Session: A structured brainstorming session with guiding questions to help students plan their projects. A corresponding rubric is provided to assess the quality of their ideas and planning process.

Daily Journal Cards: Students use these cards to document their daily progress, helping them reflect on their work and stay on track.

Daily Project Assessment Cards: Rubrics for teachers to assess each student’s progress daily, ensuring that everyone is making meaningful contributions and staying engaged with the project.

Organizational Pages: Space for students to sketch their designs, write descriptions, and organize their ideas, promoting a thorough and thoughtful engineering process.

Self-Assessment: A form for students to evaluate their own performance at the end of the project, encouraging self-reflection and personal accountability.

Video Assessment Rubric (Updated): A rubric specifically designed for assessing video presentations of the final Rube Goldberg machines, allowing students to showcase their work creatively.

Final Project Rubric: A comprehensive rubric for grading the completed Rube Goldberg machines, covering all aspects of the project from design and execution to presentation and understanding of kinetic energy transfer.

Why This Resource Works:

This structured approach to the Rube Goldberg project ensures that students stay organized and focused throughout the engineering process, allowing them to fully explore the concepts of forces, motion, and kinetic energy transfer. The inclusion of detailed rubrics, assessment tools, and organizational resources provides both students and teachers with a clear framework for success, making this an ideal project for any forces and motion unit.

Please visit my blog to see how I use this resource in my classroom. How to Create a Rube Goldberg Unit plus a Free Simple Machines Review Set.

Simple Machines Resources:

🔶Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt | NGSS MS-PS2-1 | Digital or Printable Activity

🔶Types of Simple Machines Exit Tickets Review Assessment

🔶Simple Machine Coloring Pages-Discussion Starters

🔶Types of Simple Machines Examples Photo Card Sort Gallery Review or Assessment

🔶Types of Simple Machines Bingo Game

🔶Simple Machines Unit Bundle of 5 Fun Activities

Rube Goldberg Machine Resources:

🔷Structured Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | Middle School Forces, Motion and Energy

🔷Rube Goldberg Structured Stem Project Choice Board What is the End Goal?

🔷Ecosystem Energy Transfer STEM Activity | Food Chains and Rube Goldberg Challenge

🔷Rube Goldberg OCEAN Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Project Activity

🔷Rube Goldberg Forest Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Project Activity

🔷Rube Goldberg Desert Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Project Activity

🔷Rube Goldberg STEM Challenge | African Savanna Food Chain Energy Transfer

🔷Rube Goldberg Arctic Tundra Food Chain STEM TRANSFER OF ENERGY Activity

🔷Rainforest Energy Transfer STEM Challenge | Ecosystem Food Chain Rube Goldberg

I would love your feedback if you purchase this product! Thank you!


There are several methods I use to get this resource to students.

  1. Since this is a PowerPoint, I simply upload it into a Google slides presentation and share it on Google Classroom with each individual student. The students can then copy which slides they want and paste them into their own Google Slides unit presentation and add text boxes.
  2. You can export the PowerPoint into images and then send the images to them in Google Classroom.
  3. You can download the PowerPoint into images and place all of the images into a Google Drive folder to share with the students.
  4. If you are using iPads, in the same room as the students, you can simply AirDrop the images, Powerpoint or Google Slides presentation to their iPads .

If you have any questions at all, as to how to use these, please contact me at Karensinai2@gmail.com and I am more than happy to help you!

Feedback

**Did you know that you can save money on TpT resources by leaving feedback? Go to your “My Purchases“ page and leave feedback on the resources you’ve purchased to earn TpT credits! 

Copyright

Each purchase is a license for ONE person to use in a classroom setting. It is a violation for individuals, schools and districts to redistribute, edit, sell, or post this item on the Internet or to other individuals. Disregarding the copyright is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright  Act and subject to legal action. By purchasing this product you acknowledge that you have read and understood these terms of use. 

Report this resource to TPT
Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Report this resource to let us know if this resource violates TPT's content guidelines.

Reviews

4.8
Rated 4.76 out of 5, based on 41 reviews
41
ratings
5
32
4
8
3
1
2
0
1
0
Mostly used with 8th grade
Reviews
6
6
2
8
18
1
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
All verified TPT purchases
lots of content
Rated 4 out of 5
May 10, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This was a very detailed and thorough resource. I used it with my students, and it went pretty well. I appreciated all of the resources but wish that the rubrics were editable or that the place for points was blank so that I could select the amount of points that I thought was appropriate for each part of the assignment.
Jessica B.
10 reviews
Grades taught: 5th
A helpful resource
Rated 4 out of 5
April 12, 2026
I used parts of this to make my own resource. I really liked that students had to record what they accomplished in a certain class.
Christine S.
19 reviews • Outside the United States
Grades taught: 4th, 5th
well organized
Rated 4 out of 5
March 11, 2026
Easy to use. I wish it was editable though. Helped students to get started.
Aubrey J.
109 reviews • Outside the United States
Grades taught: 8th
Excellent resouce
Rated 5 out of 5
January 26, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This was an excellent, engaging resource for middle school. I used it as a culmination project for my simple machines unit and students loved every minute.
69 reviews • Pennsylvania
Grades taught: 6th, 7th, 8th
Rated 5 out of 5
June 10, 2025
My students were engaged during the 2 class periods we worked on and I loved listening to their conversations as the worked.
Amy M.
917 reviews
Grades taught: 7th
Student populations: Emerging bilinguals, Learning difficulties
Science by Sinai
Response from
Science by Sinai
(TPT Seller)
Nov 18, 2025

I'm glad they enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback!

Rated 5 out of 5
April 16, 2025
We did this project after our state testing. My students loved doing this!
Kristin C.
155 reviews
Grades taught: 8th
Science by Sinai
Response from
Science by Sinai
(TPT Seller)
May 19, 2025

I'm glad they enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback!

Rated 5 out of 5
April 15, 2025
I used this a project for my 7th and 8th grade General Science classes. Teacher friendly content made it very easy to break the project in to different sections/checkpoints! Highly recommend.
Heather S.
13 reviews
Grades taught: 7th, 8th
Science by Sinai
Response from
Science by Sinai
(TPT Seller)
May 19, 2025

Thank you so much for your feedback!

Rated 5 out of 5
February 5, 2025
Great resource! Well-organized and easy to use. Highly recommend!
Tessie F.
425 reviews
Grades taught: 4th
Science by Sinai
Response from
Science by Sinai
(TPT Seller)
Mar 26, 2025

Thank you! I'm so glad this was useful! I appreciate the feedback.

Questions & Answers

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Standards

to see state-specific standards (only available in the US).
NGSS3-PS2-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. Examples could include an unbalanced force on one side of a ball can make it start moving; and, balanced forces pushing on a box from both sides will not produce any motion at all. Assessment is limited to one variable at a time: number, size, or direction of forces. Assessment does not include quantitative force size, only qualitative and relative. Assessment is limited to gravity being addressed as a force that pulls objects down.
NGSSMS-ETS1-4
Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
NGSS3-PS2-2
Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. Examples of motion with a predictable pattern could include a child swinging in a swing, a ball rolling back and forth in a bowl, and two children on a see-saw. Assessment does not include technical terms such as period and frequency.
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