Watch now: Engineer in the Classroom event teaches life, career lessons to Decatur students | Education

The event had students use mechanical techniques inspired by Rube Goldberg, an American cartoonist associated with machines that are intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect, overcomplicated way. 

Central A&M fifth-grader Eli Wilson participated with his class on Saturday. He said they did come across some problems with the pancake flipping off to the side and their mousetrap breaking, but it was still fun. 

“We thought it was going to be really hard for us, but then once we go halfway through, it started to come together,” Wilson said. 

The building process and showcase is designed to encourage students to learn more about engineering and the career pathways associated with the field. 

Engineers working at various Central Illinois businesses volunteer their time in local fifth-grade classes, meeting with students once a week over the course of eight weeks to create their contraption. 

“The concept is to bring other types of people from different backgrounds into the classroom and give them a different kind of hands-on learning experience,” said Michelle Schwenk, executive director for Engineering in the Classroom.

The Central A&M team created 10 moves using ropes and pulleys, reels and rods, weights and a gear from a bicycle to flip a pancake. Once the weights were pushed off, it sent the mechanisms in motion.

Central A&M teammate Larissa Wells was part of the group that connected the chain to the gear, allowing it to power the multiple steps. 

“We had to check before and after, and if it something didn’t work, we had to go back and fix it or change it,” Wells said. “It was a lot of work.”

During their time together, volunteer and AGCO Corp. Chief Engineer Clint Richter discussed principles and job details with the children. The Rube Goldberg preparation teaches problem-solving and ways to use engineering to find solutions. 

“We hope to see a renewed excitement for engineering in this age group and to let the students know that the stuff they’re learning in school right now is the stuff you use as an engineer,” Richter said. 

Failures are part of the learning process, and according to Richter, much of an engineer’s job includes fixing mistakes.

“It’s not a mystery, we just keep building on to it and now we love doing it,” Richter said.