Summary
A short challenge to design your own chain reaction, where one action causes the next — a mini Rube Goldberg machine you can build with things around the house or classroom. Fast, hands-on, and endlessly re-tryable.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
In a chain reaction, one small action sets off a whole series of events.
- What does 'cause' mean, and what does 'effect' mean?
- In a chain reaction, how is each step both an effect and a cause?
- What everyday object could start your chain reaction?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: cause, effect, chain reaction, predict.
Try it: Line up dominoes or books so knocking one starts the rest. Draw arrows to show how each step causes the next.

