The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Paper Ball Launcher

Paper Ball Launcher

A 1st grade STEM lesson

Fannie Hunt

December 3, 2023

Notes for teachers

• This lesson takes place in the classroom for 40 minutes to an hour
• Students may work in groups of 2-4 or it can be individual.
• An emphasis on building a paper ball launcher alone.
• Creative solutions should be encouraged.
• Facilitate students reflection as to the process they went through with building the paper ball launcher.

List of Materials

Building the Launcher

• Short pencil, popsicle stick, or bamboo stick with dull ends
• large rubber bands (2)
• Cardboard tube (empty toilet paper tubes or empty paper towel tube cut in half)
• Packing tape or other strong tape
• Scissors
• Paper crumpled into a ball
• Single hole puncher/xacto to make holes

Hitting the target- this is based on your available resources and creativity. Below are just suggestions

• empty water bottles with lids (can be filled with water or empty)
• plastic cups
• rubber ducks

Standards

Science and Engineering Practices

• ask questions and define problems
• develop and use models
• plan and carry out investigations

Crosscutting Concepts

• structure and function
• scale, proportion, and quantity

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1.P3U1.3 Plan and carry out investigations which demonstrate how equal forces can balance objects and how unequal forces can push, pull, or twist objects, making them change their speed, direction, or shape.

Objectives:

• I can collaborate and communicate effectively with our peers to build a paper ball launcher.
• I can use force to launch the rolled paper for the launcher to hit a target.
• I can identify the type of force used in the launcher.

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Agenda

Part 1

Building the Model

This may take about 10-15 minutes. It depends on the fine motor skills of your students. You may also have to do some parts of the materials prior to assembling to avoid consuming most of your time helping students putting parts together.

Part 2

Hitting the Target

This can take about 20 minutes and it depends on how you will set up the students’ turn on hitting their target. You may add to this a practice time for them to play around with their launcher. You may have to provide or prepare extra targets for practice.

Intro/Driving Question/Opening

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What is force?

What are the types of force?

What kind of force can I apply through the launcher ?

Force

is a push or pull acting on an object. It can cause the object to speed up,slow down, to remain still, or to change its shape.

Building the Launcher

1. Cut open of the paper tubes lengthwise.
2. Squeeze the roll so it becomes narrower, about half of its original diameter, then tape it to hold in place.
3. Punch two holes opposite each other about half an inch away from the end of the tube.
4. Carefully push your stick through the hole.
5. Using the 2nd tube, punch two opposite holes on the end about ¼ inch away from the end.
6. Loop the rubber band through the hole. One rubber band per hole.
7. Insert the narrow tube with the pencil inside the tube with rubber bands. The pencil is on the opposite end of the rubber band.
8. Stretch the rubber band and hook it on the stick.
9. Insert a crumpled piece of paper that will fit the size of the bigger tube.
10. Pull back the narrow tube and release. Watch how the paper flies!

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Assessment

Differentiation

The paper launcher is using paper, ask the students what else can we use aside from paper? (cotton ball, pompoms)

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Often times the rubber bands break easily, ask the students what can we replace the rubber bands with if this becomes an issue? (Hair tie)

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

This launcher can be used to compete for the launcher that can release the farthest.

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Ask the students of improving the model since the paper tube gets easily damaged around the area where the narrow tube is being pulled and released.

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Ask the students how this device can be useful in their lives or at home.