Measurement - Catapults

This term for maths we decided we would design catapults for our measurement unit.
Children had to find out all the dimensions of their catapults before they were given a hammer and nails to make them. Children encountered some challenges while doing this as sometimes the nails didn't stick or the spoon used to launch our beads would sometimes slip out. This made the class need to problem solve to find ways to counter the issues that arose. It was surprising to see such a wide variety of catapults. Although they all had the same materials to use, many of them used them in different ways to each other.



Once all the catapults were made it was time to test them out. The class wanted to use flaming ammunition on Hillary House, and while they thought that sounded fun I had to say "no" due to health and safety regulations (although I couldn't find any section specifically forbidding the use of catapults and flaming ammunition at school in a learning context).

We headed up to the netball courts with our devices of destruction and began to test them out. Children spent a long session measuring and firing and the amount of engaged children all focused on mathematics was amazing.