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 for Kids

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:

  1. Stack seven craft sticks together. Wrap rubber bands tightly around each end.
    Thanksgiving STEM Activity
  2. Stack two craft sticks. Wrap one end with a rubber band.
    Thanksgiving STEM Activity
  3. Put the two sticks crosswise on the seven sticks, one on top and one on the bottom.
    Thanksgiving STEM Activity
  4. Attach perpendicular sticks together with another rubber band.
    Thanksgiving STEM Activity
  5. Glue a container lid to the end of the craft stick without a rubber band.
    Thanksgiving STEM Activity

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.

Thanksgiving STEM Activity

Each time you catapult something, measure the distance, and record it.

Thanksgiving STEM Activity

Use this information to make a bar graph.

Which object went the furthest? Why do you think that is?

 Thanksgiving STEM Activity 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving STEM Activity - Catapult

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