A Trebuchet Day!

What an amazing day this Monday was! We learned about one of the inventions that Leonardo Da Vinci modified- the trebuchet. Da Vinci, who was not actually a violent person at all,but was dedicated to protecting his country, Italy from it's enemies. He developed a trebuchet to attack and protect Italy from being invaded by neighboring countries. The trebuchet worked very much like a catapult, using counterweights to launch and sling objects from a basket. When the launcher was set loose,the counterweight would swing down and send the launching arm and whatever was in the basket flying through the air in an arc. Mr. Zawis built a model trebuchet for us to try out ourselves. We put our scientists hats on, and followed the steps of the scientific method as we launched various holiday objects to see how their weight would effect the distance that they flew. Not only did everyone do a fantastic job weighing, launching, and measuring, but also exemplified excellent teamwork throughout the process. I am so proud of each and every student involved!
Thank you all for your thoughtful gifts. I am so fortunate to work with these fantastic children and I am thrilled to see what 2008 brings for us. I wish you and your families a wonderful holiday.
Enjoy the slide show!