![]() Before they are allowed to buy materials, they need to first come up with a finalized design of their launcher. The students are able to use the tickets to purchase any additional supplies they may need from the "Melted Marshmallow" storefront. Each group is started off with an identical ziplock bag of materials a pipe cleaner, three large Popsicle sticks, a rubber band, and ten tickets. This is entirely due to the variety of materials supplied to the students to build their launchers. One of the things that sets this project apart from other catapult projects is the overall variety you get with each group's catapult build. Therefore, the catapult must be both powerful and accurate! The second is to shoot at least one mini-marshmallow (out of three) through a target set up three meters away from the launcher. The first is to be able to build a launcher that can launch a mini marshmallow an average distance of 3 meters (over five attempts). From my parts purchasing system to the final awards, I have some cool ideas that will help launch your next catapult project! Supplies I wanted to share the way that I teach this classic lesson and show you some of the new ideas and methods I use to make it a truly memorable experience for my students. I have been doing some iteration of this lesson for the past eight years and I think that this final, most recent version has so much value for a STEM based classroom. One of the tried and true lessons that kids love is building catapults. I love getting my students excited about science and engineering and love it even more when they bring that excitement back home with them. I only hope that there are conversations like this around the dinner table when my students go home after a science class. Sam: "Nope! But we would have gotten a bunch more points if he ended up eating it." Mom: "So, did he know that you were going to launch marshmallows at his face, are you in trouble?" Stark's face since my group built the most accurate and powerful catapult in class!" Stark right in the face with a mini-marshmallow!" Reflect on final results of a completed project.Graph both individual results and classroom results.Identify and model both precision and accuracy.Test, modify, and retest a manufactured product to improve the overall result.Assemble and manufacture a final product based upon previously drawn blueprints.Use basic tools to build a final project.All these pieces together will act as a stopping mechanism for the swinging arm.This is a complete lesson plan for middle school students (grades 6 - 8) that incorporates multiple practices in engineering, technology, and mathematics. Then fasten you 6-inch 2x4’s to the top-wood, aligning the corners and edges. Next cut a piece of 4x4 the length from the inside of the 30-degree cut pieces.Ĭut two pieces of 2x4 the length of a 4x4 and 2x4 short-side (we’ll call it “top-wood” for reference).Ĭut two pieces of 2x4 at least six inches long.įasten your top-wood to the top of the 4x4, making sure the edge and outer corners are aligned. Cut a length of 2x4 so that it may sit on top of these pieces. Next, from the outside edges of these pieces, measure the distance between them. This will give our launch arm a 60-degree launch angle. From one of their corners, cut a angle at 30-degrees using a table saw. After you’ve cut the angle fasten it to the vertical 4x4 up from the inner housings’ top of its 2x4s’, with the 4x4s’s center line matched to its position on the 3’ vertical 4x4. ![]() ![]() From one of its corners, make a 30-degree angle with its opposite side. The next part will be needed to stop the swinging arm.
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