Catapult Teaches Science, Math, and Data Through Fun

Our student John impressed me today.

John is doing summer camp Design Extreme this week. Today he did a catapult. The building itself is simple. The challenge is to get the precision. For a lot of students, seeing the catapult capable of flying a projectile means work is done, period. But John took the time to try different projectile materials – gum drop, ping pong ball and paper balls, jot down their weight (he picked up math on division and decimals along the way) , measure the angle and distance, judge the precision, and jot down notes. The pictures were not even doing the whole justice! John drew conclusion from the data what affects the flying distance. Besides looking at the projectile shapes and weight, he also checked the structure of the catapult, designed a stopper to secure the projectile on the launcher.

I love John’s never-give-up spirit. After all this is what leads to success. I am happy John was having fun too! He derived meaning from a bunch of otherwise meaningless numbers! A scientific mind he has! Good for him!

Regular Workshop