Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Trebuchet Toss
Young engineers work in teams to design and build their own trebuchets according to certain criteria; they must be able to launch a mini marshmallow accurately into a pie tin. Background reading material, a planning sheet for trebuchet...
Curated OER
Secrets of Lost Empires II-Pharaoh's Obelisk
Learners identify and analyze how levers work by raising a brick with a shish kebab skewer. Students present their work, explaining what did and did not work, including illustrations of the lever lift from different angles. Learners...
Curated OER
Medieval Catapults
Students design and build a working catapult or trebuchet to explore the concepts of force, motion, and distance.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Right on Target: Catapult Game
Students experience the engineering design process as they design and build accurate and precise catapults using common materials. They use their catapults to participate in a game in which they launch Ping-Pong balls to attempt to hit...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Flying T Shirts
During this engineering design/build project, students investigate many different solutions to a problem. Their design challenge is to find a way to get school t-shirts up into the stands during home sporting events. They follow the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Trebuchet Launch
Students work as engineers to design and test trebuchets (in this case LEGO MINDSTORMS robots) that can launch objects. During the testing stage, they change one variable at a time to study its effect on the outcome of their designs....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Launch Into Learning: Catapults!
Learners learn about catapults, including the science and math concepts behind them, as they prepare for the associated activity in which they design, build and test their own catapults. They learn about force, accuracy, precision and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Physics of the Flying T Shirt
Students are introduced to the physics concepts of air resistance and launch angle as they apply to catapults. This includes the basic concepts of position, velocity and acceleration and their relationships to one another. They use...
PBS
Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires: Medieval Arms Race
Defines and describes the weapons commonly used in medieval times when attacking a castle.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Trebuchet Toss
A lesson through which young scholars design and build a small trebuchet from everyday materials. After building and testing their models, students will compete to see whose prototype produces the farthest launch.
PBS
Pbs: Nova: Destroy the Castle
Design your own trebuchet catapult, launch the sandstone balls, and destroy the castle. Decide on the size of your projectiles, where to place your trebuchet, and other factors critical to success.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Castles and Weaponry
[Free Registration/Login Required] A brief introduction, including useful diagrams, to the three major types of castles from the Middle Ages as well as a look at some common medieval weapons.
Science Struck
Science Struck: How Does an Ancient and Modern Catapult Work
A short explanation of how a catapult works and some examples of them.
Other
Xenophon Group: Medieval Mechanical Artillery
Contains relevant information regarding non-gunpowder weapons which were used during the Medieval period.