CONTRAPTION MAKER is a great new program that will get your students having a blast creating and building their own Rube Goldberg-like devices that can be very complicated and intense, or, just funny and quirky. Actually, it's not a new program at all, it's the old "The Incredible Machine," but what is new about it is they are offering it to schools for FREE!
There are opportunities for students to work collaboratively or individually. There is also a Contraption Maker community where students can post their creations.
Students in my class are very quickly embracing this creative program, smiling and laughing as they work together to come up with some wacky creations. Without perhaps realizing it, your students will be working in many curriculum areas, for example - physics, weight, velocity, momentum; or math as they determine timing or sequencing; as well as using organizational skills as they create their own "story board sequences" for what they'd like to have happen in their game from start to finish, and.... lots more!
As a middle school teacher, my classes include some very quick and capable "need to be challenged" students who, when asked, have said to me (without taking their eyes off of their screen), "I like this. It's a lot of fun and really challenging !"
I also have some "challenging" students who feel great delight and accomplishment when they create their own simple working device with flying balls and kitties and other combinations of wacky things. "Try my game! I added some more stuff, try mine next!"
It doesn't take anything special to install Contraption Maker on your school computers, your IT staff and your students will LOVE it! Definitely a two thumbs-up with my middle schoolers and I'm quite sure that elementary as well as High School students will love it too!
Check out CONTRAPTION MAKER for your classes,
after-school programs, camp groups, library programs, etc!
