Catapulting Pumpkins Fun STEM Activity at Bailey Intermediate

Using tongue depressors that have been crisscrossed and rubber banded together, fifth graders in Dustin Morris’s class at Bailey Intermediate launched candy pumpkins for a fall hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) project.

The lesson was on the relationship between force, speed, and distance.  When a small amount of force was applied, the pumpkins barely flew.  Using more force sent the pumpkins flying at a faster speed and to a further distance.

“It was a great lesson about force and motion, inexpensive to create, and a fun way to integrate Halloween,” said math and science instructor Dustin Morris.