Charmara Davis
TED 460-01
Catapult
Skee
Ball
Grade
Level: 4 (3-6)
Group
Size:
4
Time
Required: 1 hour
Activity
Dependency:
none
Keywords: catapult, golf ball, projectile, skee ball
Subject
Area:
Data Analysis
& Probability, Number & Operations, Physics
Summary
Students work in groups to design and construct a catapult using a variety of given materials.
After the catapults are completed, students will play Catapult Skee Ball where the objective is to
throw golf balls into the holes of a game board to earn points. Students record the results of their
launches and total the number of points that they earned. The class will then discuss the results of
the activities and questions about their findings.
Engineering
Connection Simple and compound machines are the foundation of many projects that engineers create. They
often begin the design process by first sketching possible solutions. They then select the best
design and begin constructing it. During this time, engineers also test their creation and make
adjustments that would yield the best results. It is very important that they record their results
and measurements in an organized way that can be easily communicated to others.
Engineering
Category 1. Relates science concept to engineering
2. Relates math concept to engineering
3. Provides engineering analysis or partial design
Educational
Standards • NJCCS Math: 4.1 B
• NJCCS Math: 4.4 A
• NJCCS Science: 5.7 A
• NJCCS Technology: 8.2 B
Pre­Requisite
Knowledge
• A familiarity with the game of skee ball
• A familiarity with the concept behind a catapult
• Ability to calculate the sum of multiple two- and three- digit numbers
Learning
Objectives After this activity, students should be able to:
• design and construct a working catapult.
• accurately record the point values earned by each ball in each round and calculate the
total points earned.
• describe how a catapult works and methods of manipulation to achieve desired outcomes
such as greater distance and height.
• identify the mode within a set of numbers and explain possible reasoning.
Materials
List
To
create
Game
Board:
• Poster Board
• Glue
• Wooden Board 125 cm x 125 cm
For
the
entire
class
to
share:
• Wooden craft sticks
• Tape
• Rubber bands
• String
• Plastic spoons
• Wooden Dowel Rods
• Markers
• Rulers
• Protractor
• Glue
• Scissors
Each
group
needs:
• 5 Golf Balls
Introduction/Motivation (Display picture of a catapult) Can anyone tell me what this is? What is it used for? (Display
picture of a skee ball machine) What about this? What is this thing called? How do you play?
Now you may ask why I am showing you pictures of these two seemingly unrelated objects, but
can anyone think of how we might combine them? Today we are going to work in groups to
design and build our very own catapults. Then we will use these catapults to play our very own
version of skee ball. We will play four rounds and see which group earns the highest score. So
who’s ready to play?
Procedure Background
Skee ball was invented in 1909 by J.D. Estes. It is traditionally played on an inclined lane
and players aim to get balls to fall into holes with specific point values. These machines
are very popular at arcades and game centers. A catapult is a mechanical device used to
throw projectiles great distances. Catapults were first used around 400 BC in ancient
Greece and China as a weapon to launch rocks, arrows and other projectiles against
enemies. An example students may be familiar with is a slingshot.
Before
the
Activity
• Gather materials and make copies of Catapult Skee Ball Worksheet
• Create Game Board (1 for each group)
1. Cut poster board into strips 5 inches wide. Then cut 1 strip 90cm long, 1 strip
60 cm long, 3 strips 30 cm long, and 2 strips 15 cm long.
2. Glue 60 cm, 30 cm, and 15cm strips to create circles.
3. Cut a longer strip to create the gutter region.
4. Glue circles and strip on a wooden board as pictured in Figure 1.
5. Label the respective point values on the Game Board.
Figure 1: Game Board
100
points
With
the
Students
100
points
50
points
40
points
20
points
10
points
0
points
1. Show students pictures of a catapult and a skee ball machine as outlined in the
Introduction/Motivation section.
2. Show students available materials and the game board
3. Divide students into groups containing four or five students each.
4. Distribute worksheets to each group.
5. Students work in groups to sketch possible designs for their catapult on the Catapult
Designing worksheet then select the best design.
6. Students create their selected design using the given materials.
7. Students test their catapults in the game area and make adjustments to their design.
8. Students play 4 rounds of Catapult Skee Ball with their completed catapult. Catapults
must be launched from at least 1 foot away from the game board.
9. Students record their results on the Catapult Skee Ball worksheet.
10. Groups discuss their designs and results.
11. Class answers THINK questions.
Image
Figure
2:
Example
of
traditional
skee
ball
machine.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skee_ball
Attachments
• Catapult Designing Worksheet (doc)
• Catapult Skee Ball Worksheet (doc)
Figure
3:
Example
of
a
more
modern
skee
ball
machine
with
100
point
pockets
Source:
gridskipper.com
Group Members:___________________________________________ Date: _____________
Catapult Designing
Use the space below to brainstorm ideas for your catapult. Then select the best design to create
for the game challenge. Good luck! 
Group Members:___________________________________________ Date: _____________
Catapult Skee Ball
Using your newly designed catapult, try to launch the golf balls into the circles on
the game board for points. Record the results of each round in the following tables. Round 1
Ball
1
2
3
4
5
Total Points
Points
Scored
Ball
1
2
3
4
5
Total Points
Round 3
Ball
1
2
3
4
5
Total Points
Round 2
Points
Scored
Points
Scored
Round 4
Ball
1
2
3
4
5
Total Points
Points
Scored
THINK: 1. What methods of using your catapult helped you earn the most points? 2. Where on the game board did the golf balls land most often? Why? Safety
Issues
• Students should exercise caution and be alert during this activity since it involves
projectiles.
• Students should wear safety goggles while playing the game to protect their eyes.
• This activity requires open space and may be played outside to prevent damage to items
in classroom.
Investigating
Questions • What type of simple machines does a catapult use?
• What methods of using the catapult earned your group the most points?
• What would you change about your catapult? Why?
Assessment
Pre‐
Activity
Assessment
• Use Discussion Questions to gauge understanding of topic
o Has anyone ever played skee ball? How do you play?
o Has anyone ever seen or even built a catapult? How does it work?
Activity
Embedded
Assessment • Each group will receive one Catapult Designing worksheet. Students will work
together to create and record potential catapult designs. Next, they will select the
best design and begin constructing it.
• Each group will receive one Catapult Skee Ball worksheet. Students will record
the number of points scored by each golf ball and add up the total number of
points scored in that round. Students repeat recording for each round of the game.
Post‐
Activity
Assessment
• Each group will report their results beginning with their brainstormed designs and
why they chose to make their selected design. They will then report their results
from the game.
• The class will discuss the THINK questions on the Catapult Skee Ball worksheet. Activity
Extensions
• Set a target total point value and each group sees how many attempts they need to
meet or exceed that number.
• Use the constructed catapults to see which group can throw a plastic counter over
the highest wall.
• Use catapults to see which group can throw plastic counters the farthest distance. • Explore the connection between force, mass, and acceleration by using different
projectiles.
Activity
Scaling
• For lower grades, build the catapults as a class using the same materials.
• For upper grades, have students calculate the mean, median, and mode point
values they earned and graph them on paper or the computer.