C4E Catapult Challenge
This Term Ms Tan's Stage 1 C4E Mathematical Methods class participated in a catapult challenge.
By teacher, Ester Tan
The students worked in groups to design and build a catapult using various recycled resources and incorporated using trajectory to explore quadratic functions. Each group modelled parabolic and equations of parabolas from given points by solving a system of equations using quadratic regressions. They demonstrated how the effects of the constants a,b, and c are studied and the coordinates of the vertex are found through an interactive graphing calculator application. The catapults were required to be designed to allow for adjustments to be easily made to allow for exploration of different parabolic paths and discovery of the equation of the path that each projectile should take in order to hit the given target.
After a presentation from each group of their catapults, the students then tested, demonstrated and compared their catapults. Despite the fact that only one group managed to achieve the goal of hitting their target, everyone had fun and enjoyed the opportunities to do a differentiated Mathematics Investigation which took them out of the classroom scenario and enable them to apply their mathematics skills. The students in the winning group, each, won a “goodies bag” comprising various stationery equipment as well as a worthy “toilet roll” to remind them of the difficulties they had to overcome to get their catapult together amidst the difficult times during the COVID- 19 pandemic.
