Ball Launcher Challenge
Grade Range
6th-8th
Group Size
2-4 students
Active Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours
Area of Science
Mechanical Engineering
Key Concepts
Engineering design
Learning Objectives
- Design and build a ball-launching device and receiver based on specified criteria.
- Iteratively test, redesign, and modify the devices to improve their performance.
Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
OverviewAdd a twist to a traditional "build a catapult" engineering project with this fun lesson plan based on the 2018 global Fluor Engineering Challenge. Your students must build a device to launch a ball as far as possible—but they also have to build another device to catch it! With detailed rules and guidelines for a class-wide competition, this lesson is a great way to teach your students about the engineering design process. NGSS AlignmentThis lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
Materials![]() Each group will need the following materials:
Reviews |
Grade Range
6th-8th
Group Size
2-4 students
Active Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours
Area of Science
Mechanical Engineering
Key Concepts
Engineering design
Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
Learning Objectives
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