Marble Drop
WHAT WILL YOU MAKE?
A fun game full of twists and turns. Drop a marble down through the top and see if you can make it to the end!
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
You will learn to measure precisely, hammer in nails, and do basic woodworking.
STEPS
STEP 1
1
Place your two narrow pieces of wood
along the left and right sides of your board.
Mark the margin they'll cover, and then lay
them aside again.
STEP 2
2
Make margins at the top and bottom of
your board that are about 1.5" wide.
Draw an evenly spaced grid on your
board, centered on your board. Each square
of the grid should be larger than your
marble.
STEP 3
3
Measure your grid squares from the
center of your board to make sure that the
grid itself is centered.
Our marble has a 1/2" diameter, so the
cells on our grid are 3/4" x 3/4".
STEP 4
4
Hammer the first row of nails at the
corners, and then for the second row of
nails, hammer each nail halfway between
the corners.
Continue to alternate between corners
and centers in this pattern until you get to
the bottom of the grid. After you have all the
nails in, glue the bumpers to the left and
right of your board.
STEP 5
5
Measure and cut a piece of craft
"Popsicle" stick long enough to reach from
the last row of nails to the bottom edge of
the board. Repeat this step until you have
one cut stick per nail in the bottom row
(unless the nail is right up againt the
bumper).
Glue the popsicle stick walls below each
nail in the last row.
STEP 6
6
Cut a piece of cardboard so it's as long
as the bottom edge of your board and as
wide as the thickness of the bumper and
board added together.
Cut two thin pieces of cardboard that
are long enough to reach from the front of
the board to the back. Bend them into U-shapes.
STEP 7
7
Glue these two loops onto each
bumper. Make sure to leave a small gap at
the bottom.
Slide the cardboard piece that you
measured in step 10 into the two loops. It
will act as a shelf to catch your marbles.
How else could you make a shelf?
STEP 8
8
Cut a piece of cardboard to hide the
stick walls. Draw the wall lines on top of the
cardboard. Glue it to the bumpers.
Give each comlumn a point value. You
don't have to use our numbers! You could
write down a value to subtract such as "-3"
in order to make your game really exciting!
STEP 9
9
Test your new Marble Drop game! Play
with a friend and keep track of your scores.
What will your game rules be? First to 50
wins? Slide the bottom shelf out to retrieve
your marbles.
Materials:
- 9" x 14" plywood
- two 14" x 1" x 1" pieces of wood
- nails 3/4" long ( approximately. 150 - 200)
- popsicle sticks
- cardboard
- marbles
- craft knife
- ruler
- pencil
- hammer
- hot glue gun with glue sticks
- paint (optional)
Please Note
Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Power tools, electricity, and other resources used for these projects are dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear and adult supervision. Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. Use of the instructions and suggestions found in Maker Camp is at your own risk. Make Community, LLC, disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense.
Maker Camp Project Standards
Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. Also see Standards with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art for Music.NGSS 3-5.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- 3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
- 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- 3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
NGSS MS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
- MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
- MS-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.
NGSS HS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- HS-ETS1-4. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
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