STEM Supplies Exclusive Product
Includes Lessons and Curriculum
LearnLauncher Catapult Kit
Explore why the catapult has been used for thousands of years with this life-size, interactive version!
Get all ages and groups of all sizes immersed in the STEM experience! At almost 3'H, LearnLauncher provides larger-than-life lessons as students vary the amount of force to launch a variety of items! Lightweight, yet durable ABS construction allows it to go almost anywhere—place it in the center of a gym, common area, or take it outside to the playground or field and get a hands-on experience as precision and accuracy are tested. Students use the included resistance tubing to discover how the combination of force and angle determines how far the beanbags fly when launched. Light, medium, and heavy resistance levels provide ample opportunity for trial and error. Students also uncover more about science through physics, engineering through evaluating the design, and math through measuring the height and distance of projectiles. But launching beanbags is just the beginning! Challenge students to hypothesize how far other classroom items will travel. Will something lighter go farther with more resistance? Or less resistance? A 10'L tether release allows students to stand a safe distance away from the catapult, while also keeping them close to the action for optimal observation.
Kit includes LearnLauncher (70"L x 27-1/2"W x 32-1/2"H; 25-1/2 lb), 8 resistance loops (4 ea light; 2 ea medium, heavy), 12 beanbags, and lesson direction. The included lesson direction details setup instructions, activities by grade level, learning objectives, and teaching suggestions to expand lessons. Patented. Accommodates 6 students. Recommended for Elementary and up.
Click here to view a sample of the included lesson directions.
Next Generation Science Standards*:
- K-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
- K-PS2-2: Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
- 2-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
- 2-PS2-2: Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
- 3-5-ETS1-2: 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-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
- 5-PS2-1: Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.
- MS-ETS1-1: 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.
- MS-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
- MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
- MS-PS2-2: 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-PS2-4: Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
- MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
- HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
*The Next Generation Science Standards are a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics*:
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1: Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units, such as km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz; l, ml; hr, min, sec; and convert from one unit to a larger unit and from a larger unit to a smaller unit.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.2: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.C.6: Measure angles in whole-number degrees using a protractor. Sketch angles of specified measure.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.G.A.1: Use a coordinate system to represent and interpret the locations of points.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3: Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, including problems involving tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, and equations.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5: Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by reporting the number of observations, describing the attribute under investigation, and giving quantitative measures of center (median and mean) and variability (interquartile range and mean absolute deviation).
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.3: Use proportional relationships to solve multi-step ratio and percent problems.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.B.4: Use statistics to draw inferences about a population.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards. Washington, DC: Authors.