Feb. 14th Feb 15th and Feb. 16th, Joanne Pirog

 

Lesson plan 111‑Trebuchet project Activity‑ Class members build their own catapults Have each of my 18 Tech Prep Math students design and build a rubber band‑powered catapult. Original idea for the catapult was found on the Internet at site http://andy.trebuchet.com/fun.htm It was called Crazy Catapult. Together with Mr. Stadnicki, head of Comp's Science Dept, the Carpentry Dept developed building kits for my students using craft‑sticks, wooden dowels, a wooden base, plastic spoon for the catapult's throwing arm and rubber bands.

 

The actual construction of catapults took 3 separate 45-minute periods. The students really got involved in this project. Hammers were loud, and students were helping each other. All 18 Tech Prep Math students completed their project for a test grade. During the building and trying out of the models, we discovered that by adding sand paper to the inside of the spoon's head the distance that the launched penny traveled was increased.

 

This increased distance was caused by the Fiction that the sand paper made between the spoon and the penny. By holding the penny a second longer the penny could be launched farther. A short discussion of friction was made.

 

During the fourth 45 minute period we all went outside and held a competition tossing pennies with our rubber‑band ‑powered catapults. When we held our competition, each student had 2 trials. We measured distances the pennies traveled in feet and we used stopwatches to time how long it took in seconds for the pennies to land. The two top winners in my class had their pennies travel 57 feet and 44 feet respectively.

 

Crazy Catapult Project

 

Original Site: pack o fun projects

Original Author: some staff writer, probably

 

http://andy.trebuchet.com/fun.htm                                                                                                               2/4/01