Write and sketch reflections and design process in a student journal.

Student journal

Discover how to use Strawbees to model and test Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion.

Guide - Newton's Laws of Motion

Launch into learning investigating catapult physics in nature, history, and technology! Discover the physics behind powerful catapults. Explore their application of potential and kinetic energy and the incredible mechanical advantage they supply. Build several catapult models and begin your own hands-on research with the science of payload projectiles.

Please note this resource was tailored for US schools and may require adjustments to suit UK schools.

🇬🇧 Teacher Notes

Teacher Notes

Overview and Objectives

Materials

Facilitation and Collaboration Work

#### Teachers: Preparing Your Students (15-55 min)

When students begin the lesson, they start in [Overview and Objectives](https://classroom-authoring.strawbees.com/resource/trebuchet-throw-lesson#overview-and-objectives), then transition to this [Preparation](https://classroom-authoring.strawbees.com/resource/trebuchet-throw-lesson#preparation) section. Presented in their view is a vocabulary list of terms and infographics illustrating concepts across STEAM domains throughout this entire lesson.

There are extra guides and optional short intro lessons for preparing student readiness for their first engagement of new terms and content knowledge. Print or distribute the student journal and guides digitally.

* Read through the vocabulary list. (5 minutes)
* Review Newton's laws of motion. Download the optional asset and share to students. (10 minutes)
* (Optional) Pick a shorter, introductory lessons to further supplementing the guides. Assign lesson to students and start. (40 minutes)

#### Vocabulary (5 minutes)

This is the list of vocabulary terms used throughout the lesson. They will be in **bold,** listed throughout the different sections, and in **Student Journal** asset. Students can always revisit the vocabulary definitions with media and questions in the lesson. (5 minutes)

#### Newton's Laws of Motion (10 minutes)

Review the Newton's 3 laws of motions as they are briefly referenced in this lesson. There is an **optional** guide used as a printout or can be shared online to students before they engage this lesson. Download the optional guide. (10 minutes)

### Optional Intro Lesson (40 minutes)

(Optional) Pick this introductory lesson to use with the guide. **Students won't see these unless assigned to them by you.** (40 minutes)

Preparation

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

The Warm-up section stimulates student interest and wonder in trebuchets and energy conversion. Warm-up examines ways that insects and spiders launch themselves. The content and questions in these sections support the remaining NGSS and Common Core standards listed in the Standards.

Warm-up can be read independently, with partners or small groups, or in a whole group setting. The questions can also be used as formative assessment.

When the aircraft is experiencing a malfunction, the pilot needs to rapidly evacuate, but isn't capable of achieving the necessary reaction time to leap out of a speedy flying vessel. Ejection seats takes about 4 seconds from the point of pulling a lever for the pilot to be launched from an aircraft.

Aircraft carrier jets only have roughly 300 feet (91 meters) of length to work with. A typical airport runway is between 2,000 (609.6 meters) and 13,000 feet (3962.4 meters) long. Meaning a catapult is needed to for releasing enough energy for the plane to fly off the runway thanks to their strong engines to fly.

Common Core ELA

Warm-up

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

Imagine dives more deeply into what catapults are, energy conversion, and how catapults have been used in the past and present, and how they may be used in the future. Imagine can be read independently, with partners or small groups, or in a whole group setting. The questions can also be used as formative assessment.

The payload releases with built-up energy and upon the moment it makes impact with a wall, the ground, or an object is when the payload loses energy.

With the use of a rotating electric **centrifuge**, satellites are sent into the atmosphere at incredible speeds surprasing 5,000 miles per hour. These speeds overcome air resistance and send into space.

Released drones zap clouds with an electrical charge, all in an effort to make it rain in these arid areas. Charged rain droplets have a better chance of plummeting to the Earth because they are increased in size and don't completely evaporate while falling.

Imagine

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

Students work on the instructions to build together in groups of 2-3.

Build a catapult base

Build the launching arm

Make a handle to stretch the arm

Make a bucket

Add ball to bucket then test launch

Make a tetrahedron

Make a paper target

Make floor handles

Take apart catapult and slide floor handles in place

Make a new release handle then attach

Rest an arm on the handles and test release

ISTE Students

NGSS

Create

#### Facilitation and Collaboration Work

Students work on the instructions to build the Crane together in groups of 2-3.

Make base joints

Build the base

Make a center beam

Complete the base's center

Create a joint for the catapult's bucket

Attach pieces then lock to start making the bucket's top

Build beams and slide on straws for side of bucket

Lock beams over connectors to stabilize

Assemble beams for the arm and attach to the bucket

Tie a rubber band to a 1-leg connector

Click a connector through bottom of bucket then loop the rubber band on

Click the other side to complete the launching arm with a hanging connector

Attach the launching arm to center of base

Click the connector with rubber band on top

Take aim and test launch

Build

For this section of the lesson, the following questions below can be discussed all together as a class or within each group. You can use the **Student Journal** asset as a helpful resource to capture ideas and process on the computer or printed ahead of time and distributed.

Reflect

Challenges

References and Extra Resources

STEAM Classroom

United States

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

3-PS2-1

Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

3-PS2-2

Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

4-PS3-1

Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

4-PS3-2

Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

4-PS3-3

Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.

5-PS2-1

Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.*

MS-PS2-1

Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

MS-PS2-2

Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

MS-PS3-2

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-1

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-2

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

3-5-ETS1-3

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-1

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-2

Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

1.4.a Innovative Designer

Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

1.4.b Innovative Designer

Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.

1.4.c Innovative Designer

Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

1.4.d Innovative Designer

Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

1.6.c Creative Communicator

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3

Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.7

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3

Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7

Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3

Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

Catapult Physics

Overview and Objectives

Lesson Structure

After this lesson students will be able to:

Structure