Students at Community High are bringing medieval history to life - one catapult launch at a time. As part of a collaborative project between Zane Weekman’s history class and Laney Bryant’s Physical Science class, students designed and built miniature catapults to test their engineering skills while learning about the medieval era. Their targets? A carefully crafted cardboard castle and an army of paper soldiers.
In History class, students studied the mechanics and strategies behind medieval tactics. Then, in Science, they applied their knowledge of physics, including force, trajectory, and energy transfer, to construct working catapults using wood, rubber bands, and other classroom materials. The project culminated in a hands-on test, where students aimed their creations at the castle, adjusting angles and force to improve their accuracy.
“This was such a fun way to learn,” said sophomore Jack. “Instead of just reading about medieval history, we actually got to experience it.”
Mr. Weekman emphasized the value of blending subjects to create a deeper understanding.
“By blending both classes we are able to give a realistic recreation of what technology has been like throughout the ages,” he said. “Seeing students engage with the material in a hands-on way is what education should be about.”
The collaboration between history and science not only reinforced key concepts from both subjects but also gave students a chance to test, fail, and improve - a lesson as valuable in the classroom as it was during medieval times.