Education Standards
Catapults Lesson Plan
Catapults Lesson Plan
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Constructing Catapults
Overview
In this elementary school lesson on catapult design, students will explore the principles of physics and engineering by constructing their own miniature catapults using simple materials. They will learn basic physics principles as they aim to launch objects with accuracy and distance. Through iterative design and testing, students will refine their models, applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to achieve optimal performance. The lesson culminates in a friendly competition where teams showcase their catapults' capabilities, fostering creativity and collaborative learning.
Introduction
Subjects: • Science • Engineering • Math
Time: 60-90 minutes
Learning Objective/Goal:
- Understand the basic principles of projectiles.
- Apply engineering concepts to design and build a catapult that can travel the farthest or hit a target most accurately.
- Evaluate the design and performance of their catapults.
Materials Needed:
- Popsicle sticks (10 per student)
- Rubber bands (5 per student)
- Plastic spoon
- Pom-poms or small marshmallows (for projectiles)
- Tape
- Scissors
Background
Building catapults is a fun and educational activity that introduces students to the principles of physics, such as motion, and energy. By designing and testing their own catapults, students can explore these concepts in a hands-on, engaging way.
Activity
Introduction
- Introduce the activity and explain the basic principles of catapults, including how force and energy are used to launch projectiles.
- Discuss different types of catapults and their historical uses.
- Have the students begin thinking about/writing down the ideas they want to use
- Show them the materials that are available to use and the rules of the competition
Activity (Continued):
Brainstorming:
- Show the students all the available materials as they brainstorm
- Remind students that they want their catapult to be stable and launch an object at an angle
Construction:
- Allow at least 30 minutes for students to build their catapults.
- Check on students frequently and ensure their catapult can function and have not made any serious mistakes that would impede their launch.
- Allow them to periodically test to ensure their design works
Final Launch:
- Have the students line up in the designated area, from a set line or point
- If launching simultaneously, make sure you can tell each catapult projectile from the other
- Record the distances
- Setup targets and have students fire catapults at targets (if measuring for accuracy)
Optional: Have a small final reflection discussion on what students learned and how they did
Extra
Tips for Students:
- Focus on creating a stable base to ensure your catapult launches consistently.
- Make sure your launching mechanism is consistent if you are going for the accuracy challenge
- Make sure your catapults can move between launch and ready positions - don't permanently glue or tape these parts that need to move!
Tips for Teachers
- Think about what item you want students launching - Marbles may not be best for tile floors but soft, lighter objects may not go as far
- Ensure no one is in the danger zone while launching
- Be prepared for disputes on which object went farther and have a way to settle these
Extensions:
- Make it a competition between students/groups on which goes the farthest
- Experiment with different projectiles to see which one fits each group catapult the best
- Have students find/make their own projectile to go with their caturpult