The ingenuity of Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students was recently put on display at the fourth grade science fair and sixth grade “invention convention,” which together drew a large crowd of parents to the building.
Principal Donna Moro beamed with pride at what students were able to accomplish. Fourth graders worked for weeks on their projects and the final result was impressive. Summaries were mounted on display boards in classrooms in the rotunda area of the building. As parents rotated through the rooms, students were excited to present their findings.
While the fourth graders were showcasing their science fair projects, sixth graders were in the cafeteria at the school’s annual invention convention. The youngsters there were excited to show-off their Rube Goldberg machines.
“A Rube Goldberg machine is a crazy contraption which accomplishes a simple task in the most complicated – and funniest – way possible,” according to the Rube Goldberg website. “Based on the ‘invention’ cartoons of famous Pulitzer Prize-winning American cartoonist, Rube Goldberg, actual machines are at the heart of the Rube Goldberg machine contest. They use everyday items (mostly junk), they tell a story and, most important of all – they make you laugh.”
“The sixth graders designed projects that used a variety of simple machines like levers, pulleys and wedges to complete basic tasks, such as flicking a light switch or pressing a doorbell, in a very complex way,” said Matthew Perlongo, dean at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School.
The cafeteria was packed with sixth graders and their family members, all anxious to get a good look at the wacky machines the students managed to come up with this year.
“The event was very well attended by both families and teachers and everyone left with a greater appreciation for the science inquiry process,” Mr. Perlongo said.
