Catapults in 5th Grade
Launch the media gallery 1 playerTo start the year, the 5th Grade class has been learning about the Scientific Method in Science. This is the method that is used in all scientific experiments. The steps are Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Observe and Record, Analyze Data, and Share Results. As a project for this lesson, the students were asked to come up with a plan to build a catapult that would launch a beanbag with the most accuracy at a target and who could launch a ping pong ball that farthest. Each student was given 25 popsicle sticks, a rubber band, and tape. Each student drew a plan and then constructed their catapults. Using the Scientific Method they came up with some very interesting and successful designs; as we had one that hit a bullseye on the target and one that launched the ping pong ball over twenty-four feet through the air.