The Projectile Launcher immersion demonstrates how projectile motion relates to sports and other parts of everyday life, helping students connect potential and kinetic energy to muscles in their bodies.
Students build launchers and see projectile motion in action as they work together, testing and adjusting their projects until the ball successfully makes it through the field goal!
Key topics include accuracy, precision, data collection, potential and kinetic energy,
and engineering design.
This immersion experience focuses on the career clusters of Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security; Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics; Government and Public Administration; Marketing, Sales, and Service; and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Sign up for your classroom immersion experience today
*Please note: A K.12 email address is required to access the registration form.
Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Government and Public Administration
Marketing, Sales, and Service
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
“I enjoyed that the students were given content knowledge as well as just the opportunity to build the launcher. They learned about the science behind why the launcher worked. I also liked the extension opportunity for the students to create carnival games using the concepts learned from the immersion experience. I hope for the students to build these and add this to our student expo in the spring.” - West Virginia teacher
Immersion Agenda
- Pique interest with a short introduction.
- Examine high-interest examples of projectile motion.
- Briefly discuss relevant concepts.
- Detail safety precautions.
- Students work in groups using design thinking to build their launcher.
- Groups test and adjust their launchers.
- Students reflect on their work.
- Short whole group discussion recaps successes, difficulties, and unexpected events.
- Connections to career clusters.
- Possibilities for "What's Next?"