Year 7 Catapult Cup
Student Reflection
Our Year 7 students worked in teams to build a catapult that would launch a ping pong ball the furthest distance. Students were given 20 paddle pop sticks, six elastic bands, five bamboo skewers, one medicine cup and masking tape to build their catapult. The competition was a huge success with Lachlan’s team firing their ping pong ball over seven metres. Lachlan McGonigle gives us an insight into his winning team’s strategy:
We started by making the base of the catapult out of triangles, which helped us form a pyramid. This meant that the base was very mobile and strong. We taped the corners and the rest of the triangles together to make the pyramid sturdier. We then made the launcher out of skewers and popsicle sticks so that the launcher would be bendy and strong. This meant that the ball would launch further. We stacked them on top of each other and taped it together. We wrapped paper on the bottom of the launcher and taped it to the bottom of the base. This allowed the launcher to keep to the base but still bend back easily, making it launch further. We wrapped six rubber bands around the launcher and the base to connect them and make the launcher stronger.
Lachlan McGonigle
Year 7
