My class erupted this week. We are learning about the Medieval times and we took a break from content and focused on one particular siege weapon, the trebuchet. The class was broken down into 5 groups of 3-4 students with one assignment, build a trebuchet. We watched a short documentary by NOVA in class yesterday and today it was go time. I spent about $40 on materials yesterday at the dollar store and Home Depot. For two days the students are in a fierce competition to design and create a trebuchet that can throw the farthest with the best accuracy.
I absolutely love this project and so do my students (or at least 95% of them). We are one week away from finals week and I cannot think of a better time to ramp up the fun.
Projects like this make me ponder the power of fun. Everyone is engaged, everyone is participating, and everyone is learning. It’s a $40 well spent (I still hope my department chair reimburses me).
