Hosting Organization: Central Middle School
County: Morris
The CMS Science Department brought hands-on STEM excitement to Family STEM Night on Thursday, March 20th! This engaging event encouraged families to collaborate in an exciting Catapult Design Challenge, where they applied principles of engineering, physics, and problem-solving in a friendly competition.
As families arrived, students had the opportunity to create personalized scientist ID badges to wear throughout the evening, setting the tone for an immersive STEM experience. The event officially began with a presentation from the CMS science teachers, who outlined the challenge, explaining the specific constraints and criteria that participants had to meet.
The design process kicked off with a 10-minute brainstorming session, where families conceptualized their catapult designs. Teachers then distributed pre-packaged supply kits, and participants had 45 minutes to construct and refine their catapults through iterative testing. Once the build phase concluded, families put their creations to the test in the final competition round.
Catapults were evaluated based on accuracy, with points awarded based on where their projectile— a donut-shaped eraser— landed within designated scoring zones (hula hoops assigned different point values). The top three teams with the highest scores were awarded the prestigious Star Science Trophy, celebrating their innovation and design skills.
The event was a resounding success, fostering creativity, teamwork, and a love for STEM learning among participants of all ages. Who knew science could be this much fun?