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2026–27 INITIATIVE
UN
STOPPABLE
What do we lose when we make everything more efficient?
Students design, build and troubleshoot a Rube Goldberg machine that uses at least three simple machines to do one simple task, and every student writes up how it works through their own subject.
ELA
MATH
SCIENCE
SOCIAL STUDIES
Free. Emailed to you.
At a Glance
SUBJECTS
ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies
LESSONS
6 per subject: 1 shared launch, 4 subject lessons, 1 shared showcase
TOPICS
Forces, motion and simple machines, linear equations, technical writing, industrialization and automation
FINAL PRODUCT
A chain-reaction machine using at least three simple machines to complete one simple task, plus a written explanation from each student's subject
FACILITATION GUIDE
Lesson plans for all four subjects, slide decks, student handouts, scoring rubric, standards documentation, contest details
WHAT YOU SUPPLY
Cardboard, tape, glue, string, rulers, marbles or blocks, paper, pencils, printed handouts
Teach all four subjects, or just yours — each subject's lessons stand on their own.
THE ARCS
Four subjects, four arcs
Lessons 1 and 6 are shared across all four subjects. In between, each subject's four lessons build on each other, toward what that subject contributes to the final product.
ELA
Precise technical writing
CCSS ELA/LITERACY
1
Chain Reaction: Every Step Counts
Chain-reaction machines and the six simple machines that drive them
2
Say Exactly What You Mean
What makes instructions precise: sequence, detail, no ambiguity
3
The Robot Test
Testing instructions by having a reader follow them literally
4
The Tools of Technical Writing
Precise word choice, transition words and labeled diagrams
5
Write for Your Reader
Formatting for usability: numbered steps, headings, warnings
6
Build Day: Run It, Fix It, Run It Again
Building, testing and presenting the machine
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRODUCT
The instructions: steps a stranger could follow.
MATH
Linear equations and algebraic reasoning
CCSS MATHEMATICS
1
Chain Reaction: Every Step Counts
Chain-reaction machines and the six simple machines that drive them
2
The Machine in Letters
Variables and expressions built from real measurements
3
Linear Equations: Solve for the Missing Piece
Solving one- and two-step equations with inverse operations
4
Coordinate Plane, Slope & Graphing
Plotting ordered pairs, graphing lines, finding slope from 2 points
5
Modeling with Linear Equations
Slope as a rate: reading a distance-time graph for average speed
6
Build Day: Run It, Fix It, Run It Again
Building, testing and presenting the machine
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRODUCT
The math that explains how the machine moves.
SCIENCE
Forces, motion and simple machines
NGSS
1
Chain Reaction: Every Step Counts
Chain-reaction machines and the six simple machines that drive them
2
The First Push
Motion, force and Newton's first law (inertia)
3
Keep It Going
Speed, velocity and reading a distance-vs-time graph
4
Making Work Easier
Net force, Newton's second law, and friction
5
Put It Together: Compound Machines
Compound machines, Newton's third law and the engineering design process
6
Build Day: Run It, Fix It, Run It Again
Building, testing and presenting the machine
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRODUCT
The science of the steps: the forces and machines that make each one work.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Industrialization and automation
C3 FRAMEWORK
1
Chain Reaction: Every Step Counts
Chain-reaction machines and the six simple machines that drive them
2
The Industrial Revolution
How machine work replaced hand work, and what it changed
3
The Assembly Line
Mass production: efficiency weighed against its human cost
4
Rube Goldberg's Joke: Tribute or Satire?
Humor and exaggeration used to make an argument
5
Automation Today
Automation and AI, and taking a position you can defend
6
Build Day: Run It, Fix It, Run It Again
Building, testing and presenting the machine
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRODUCT
The machine's message: tribute or satire, and why.
THE PRODUCT
One machine, four ways to explain it
Students design a chain-reaction machine that does one simple job in the most overcomplicated way they can manage: ring a bell, raise a flag, drop a ball in a cup. It has to use at least three simple machines. They plan it across the unit, then build, run and troubleshoot it on the build days.
Students who take more than one subject build one machine, not four. Each subject adds a write-up to the same machine.
BEFORE YOU TEACH IT
Watch the walkthrough
A run-through of the six lessons, the instructional design, and the build days, so you know what you're walking into before day one.
What it covers
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How the facilitation guide delivers your materials, and how to navigate it
How the shared launch works across all four subjects
What a typical lesson looks like start to finish
Running the model build days and the showcase
PACING
When to run it
Unstoppable is flexible. You can run it any time of year and shape the pacing to fit your school schedule: start earlier in the year, stretch the days out, or run it whenever it makes the most sense for your students.
If you're entering the national contest, the only date to plan around is February 26, when student work is due. If you're not entering, Unstoppable stands completely on its own.
CONTEST & SHOWCASE
Enter the contest
Every student who finishes gets a certificate. Facilities may submit their student work to the national contest.
Submitting
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Portal opens February 22, 2027
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Portal closes February 26, 2027
Enter individually or as a group
One product and written statement per entry
Each student can be part of only one entry
For your classroom
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Prizes for the winning students
Student participation certificate for every student who finishes
Written feedback for all student submissions
Judging rubric and contest guidelines, so students know what the judges look for (both included in the facilitation guide)
GET IT
Request the materials
Fill out the form and we'll email you the full facilitation guide, free.
Form not working? Follow this link.
Questions? Need the materials in a different format? Email initiatives@breakfree-ed.org.
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