Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The students at the Jewish Academy of Orlando recently presented their Rube Goldberg projects. A Rube Goldberg project challenges participants to make a complicated machine perform a simple task. The projects were designed to use common household items in nontraditional manners. To complete these projects the students were placed into groups to create their own machine. The projects were completed entirely at school and students were instructed not to go out and purchase materials for this task. The students built their machines using unneeded/trash items. To make things a bit more challenging and fun, the students also had to design their machines so that they could be stowed in two shoeboxes.

For this year’s challenge, the students’ machines had to place a water bottle into a recycling bin... in 10 steps or more. The students did an amazing job and all projects worked superbly.

“At he Jewish Academy of Orlando, our goal is to foster creativity and problem solving among our students; the Rube Goldberg projects are just one way that we encourage our students to be innovative and collaborative, which are important foundational skills for 21st century learning,” stated Head of School Alan Rusonik.

For more information about the Jewish Academy of Orlando or to arrange a visit to the school, please contact Jessica Mishael, admissions manager, at jmishael@myjao.org or 407-647-0713.