Butler students catapult into greatness
BUTLER TWP — Second-grade students at McQuistion Elementary School launched their science, technology, education, arts and math skills into new territory Tuesday, May 7.
The students were building catapults out of crafting sticks, plastic spoons, rubber bands and tape, which they used to fling pingpong balls through the air. All the while, they were accompanied virtually by students from Upper St. Clair School District, who were building their own catapults on the other side of a video call.
Amanda Gold, a second-grade teacher at McQuistion Elementary School, said she was surprised by how quickly the students caught on to the mechanics of a catapult, even though this project was the first time she had explained them to her students.
“Yesterday we did like a lesson on what kind of things you have to have for a catapult and made plans,” Gold said. “We do STEAM; we do outside the box thinking, and we plan and bring it to life.”
According to Gold, the catapult project was an initiative through Remake Learning, a free peer network for educators and innovators in the Pittsburgh region. The network helps people connect, exchange knowledge, collaborate on new ideas, improve their practice, and find funding to spark more engaging, relevant and equitable opportunities, according to the program’s website.
Pingpong balls flew around the room left and right Tuesday afternoon, as students learned how to increase the power of their catapults and fling them at angles that helped them soar.
One team of students, Emily Greiner, Vinny Stivason and Harper Rugg, improved their catapults’ distance and could fling the pingpong ball across the room by the end of the class.
The improvements took some trial and error, as well as some materials, the students said.
“A lot of tape and Popsicle sticks,” Harper said.
