Thanksgiving STEM Activity
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Celebrate Thanksgiving with a fun STEM (science, tech, engineering, and math) activity for kids – making a catapult!
Thanksgiving STEM Activity
In this project, you will build a catapult using materials you have at home. Then, you’ll see how far you can catapult Thanksgiving-themed items like pumpkins and gourds.
Background Knowledge: The catapult maximizes a lever, one of six types of simple machines. Engineers use the lever and fulcrum to apply force to an object.
Materials:
Craft sticks
Rubber Bands
Small objects (Thanksgiving themed if you have them)
Glue
Container lid
Tape measure
Notebook
Graph Paper
Pencil or pen
Directions to Make the Catapult:
- Stack seven craft sticks together. Wrap rubber bands tightly around each end.
- Stack two craft sticks. Wrap one end with a rubber band.
- Put the two sticks crosswise on the seven sticks, one on top and one on the bottom.
- Attach perpendicular sticks together with another rubber band.
- Glue a container lid to the end of the craft stick without a rubber band.
Now it’s time to use your catapult.
Gather together small objects that you can catapult through the air. Make sure you have enough space.
Each time you catapult something, measure the distance, and record it.
Use this information to make a bar graph.
Which object went the furthest? Why do you think that is?
Happy Thanksgiving!
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