Evil Geniuses

This week the design challenge was to build a contraption that can fling a boulder across the room.

from http://silverhawkauthor.com/book-siegecraft-no-fortress-impregnable_279.html

The Grade 5 and 6 students worked on constructing siege catapults (Roman Mangonel style). These required a very sturdy base and vertical support-no trivial matter when all you have to use is craft sticks clothes pegs and tape. The throwing arm was levered to the base with a bull clip fulcrum and stretched back with an elastic band. Pull the arm back and fling! Launch your foil boulder into the air.

Some of our budding engineers managed to improve their catapults-Elizabeth suggested more robust materials like wood and nails, Joseph and Jabeez worked out how to truss their structure. Zachary modified his catapult by adding a pull back tab and noticed that the angle of release and the size of the boulder affects how high and far it goes.

To build a prototype, test it, evaluate and improve it, is part of the design spiral we are teaching the kids.  In this workshop, the kids followed a set design plan, but then refined their catapults to improve their function.

from http://discoverdesign.org/design/process

Meantime the Grade 3 and 4 kids were evil geniuses in revolt. They decided to modify balloon slingshots into their own more exciting creations. Reinventing the workshop on the spot. There was a decadent looking "hugging slingshot" designed by Elektra, which spurred on the other kids to make crossbows and various catapult accoutrements.