The elaborate Rube-Goldberg machine used in the band OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass" music video can be used as a jumping off point for a NGSS based exploration of Simple Machines and Chain Reactions. This curriculum includes an explanation of the types of Simple Machines, and an interactive scavenger hunt using the music video. The students are then given the chance to pick a music clip of their choice to design a Chain Reaction machine too. Using prompts (video) from the band, the students are also asked to explore the aesthetic and sonic choices they make in designing their machine.
AnnMarie Thomas is a professor in the School of Engineering and the Opus Colluege of Business at the University of St. Thomas where she is the director of the UST Center for Engineering Education. Her research group, the Playful Learning Lab, focuses on engineering and design education for learners of all ages.
Dr. Besser, PE, ENV SP, holds a PhD in education and MS and BS in civil engineering. Currently, she is civil engineering chair and Center for Engineering Education director. Previous experience includes faculty positions in diverse universities where she has taught a variety of coursework including steel, timber, concrete and masonry design, construction, engineering economy, engineering graphics and engineering education. Prior to teaching, Dr. Besser, a licensed engineer, was a design engineer with HNTB-CA, where she worked on seismic retrofits and new design of high profile transportation structures.
Jenna is a senior at the University of St. Thomas, finishing up her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and STEM Education with a minor in Psychology. Jenna collaborates with the Center for Engineering Education to create outreach curriculum. She works in her university's Playful Learning Lab which focuses on engaging students of all ages in hands-on, innovative engineering education, especially focusing on reaching the underrepresented within the STEM fields. Jenna also leads the University's STEPS (Science, Technology, and Engineering Preview Summer) Program, developing the curriculum, leading the staff, and working as the primary researcher.
Undergraduate Research Assistant for the Playful Learning Lab at St. Thomas under the direction of Dr. Annmarie Thomas. Second-year Mechanical Engineering major with a Peace Engineering minor. Has led many STEM activities and is interested in using engineering to encourage peoples' interests and collaborate with developing countries.
I am an undergraduate student studying mechanical engineering and math and the University of St. Thomas. I am the lab operations manager at the Playful Learning Lab
Esmée Verschoor is a Communications and Journalism major at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is passionate about graphic design, visual communication and cultural studies. Currently, Esmée is the Visual Manager at the Playful Learning Lab, led by Dr. AnnMarie Thomas, where she creates, designs and implements educational materials focused on incorporating joy, whimsy and play into education.
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