Marble Maze Master

📅 July 29, 2024

Grade Level: K-6
Time: 45-60 minutes
Group Size: 2-4 students per team

Materials Needed (per team):

• 1 piece of sturdy cardboard (pizza box lid, poster board, or similar - about 12” x 12”)
• 10-15 popsicle sticks OR cardboard strips (cut from cereal boxes)
• White glue or glue sticks (hot glue for older students with supervision)
• 1 marble (or small ball)
• Tape
• Scissors
• Stopwatch or timer
• Optional: small cup for the “finish zone”

The Challenge:

Design a tabletop maze where a marble takes AT LEAST 10 seconds to roll from start to finish. The maze must use gravity and have at least 3 obstacles or features that slow the marble down.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Setup (5 minutes):

1. Distribute cardboard bases and materials
2. Show students how to time a marble rolling: start = when you release it, stop = when it reaches the end
3. Demonstrate what “at least 10 seconds” means with a timer
4. Explain that FASTER is not better - SLOWER wins!

Planning Phase (10 minutes):

1. Have students sketch their maze design on paper first
2. They must plan:
   • Where is START?
   • Where is FINISH?
   • What will slow the marble down?

Ideas to slow the marble:

• Zigzag paths
• Ramps that go up (marble rolls back down if too steep!)
• Spiral sections
• Narrow passages
• Bumpy sections (glue small items to create texture)
• Loops or curves
• Dead ends that marble must reverse out of

Building Phase (25-30 minutes):

Step 1: Mark Start and Finish (2 minutes)

1. Draw or tape a START zone in one corner
2. Draw or tape a FINISH zone (can be a circle, cup, or marked area)

Step 2: Build the Walls (15 minutes)

1. For Younger Students (K-2):
   • Glue or tape popsicle sticks directly to the cardboard to create a winding path
   • Make the path at least 2 marbles wide so it’s not too hard
   • Create 2-3 simple turns
2. For Older Students (3-6):
   • Create walls that are taller (stack popsicle sticks or fold cardboard strips)
   • Design complex paths with multiple obstacles
   • Add ramps, tunnels, or multi-level sections

Gluing Tips:

• White glue needs 1-2 minutes to set - hold pieces in place or use tape temporarily
• Hot glue sets fast but needs adult supervision
• Tape works for quick fixes during building

Step 3: Add Obstacles (10 minutes)

Choose at least 3 features:

1. Zigzag Section: Create sharp turns with walls
2. Speed Bump: Glue a popsicle stick across the path
3. Ramp: Prop up one end of cardboard with a book - marble rolls up, then back down
4. Spiral: Build walls in a spiral pattern
5. Narrow Passage: Make walls close together
6. Loop-de-loop: Advanced! Create a curved wall section
7. False Paths: Dead ends where marble has to roll backward

Step 4: Test and Adjust (5 minutes)

1. Place marble at START
2. Let it roll (gravity only - no pushing!)
3. Time how long it takes
4. Too fast? Add more obstacles or make paths longer
5. Too slow (marble stops)? Widen paths or remove obstacles

Teacher Tips:

• Encourage testing EARLY - don’t wait until the end
• If a marble gets stuck, that spot needs adjustment
• Gravity is the only power - tilting the board is okay, but no pushing the marble
• The marble must be able to complete the course - getting stuck doesn’t count!

Final Competition (10-15 minutes):

1. Each team runs their marble 3 times
2. Time each run
3. Average the 3 times (or take the best run)
4. Marble must complete the course for time to count
5. Team closest to (but over) 10 seconds wins!

Learning Objectives:

• Gravity and motion: How slope affects speed
• Friction: Rough surfaces vs. smooth surfaces
• Spatial reasoning: Planning a path in limited space
• Trial and error: Testing and iterating designs

Differentiation:

• Easier: Require only 5 seconds instead of 10; allow wider paths
• Harder: Require exactly 10 seconds (closest wins); marble must pass through 5+ obstacles
• Extension: Multi-level maze (marble drops from upper level to lower level)

Scoring Variations:

• Time Challenge: Closest to 10 seconds wins
• Obstacle Challenge: Most obstacles that marble successfully navigates wins
• Creativity Award: Most unique or creative maze design

Discussion Questions:

• What slowed your marble down the most?
• Why did the marble speed up on some parts and slow down on others?
• What would happen if you tilted the board? Why?
• How is friction helping and hurting your design?

Real-World Connections:

• Roller coaster designers use these same principles!
• Highway engineers design roads with curves and slopes
• Pinball machines use gravity and obstacles

Common Problems & Solutions:

• Marble goes too fast: Add more turns, make path longer, add bumps
• Marble gets stuck: Widen the path, check for glue bumps, smooth the course
• Walls fall down: Use more glue, let glue dry longer, add tape for support
• Marble jumps the walls: Walls too short - make them taller, or slow marble down