The class met via Google Meet for 30 minutes a day for 4 days each week . The classes were very large — sometimes 45-50 kids — so it was difficult to give individualized attention and we had to take things very slowly .
Day 1
We learned about catapults , what they were , and how they worked . I gave a brief lecture on how we know about catapults , including the archaeological record , Trajan ’ s Column , and literary evidence ( especially Vitruvius ). The kids had a lot of questions about the slides and videos , so judging from that feedback , they enjoyed the lesson .
Day 2
Outside my house I fired a mid-size catapult model I had built from a professionallymade kit . I explained Vitruvius ’ writings on the development of specifications for the weight and size of catapult projectiles . We tried projectiles of different weights , materials , and shapes , and the students tried to predict how far each would go . I had drawn Roman numeral targets with chalk on my sidewalk to gauge our shots .
Day 3
The highlight of the week was when the students built their own mini catapults from tongue depressors and rubber bands . It is a simple design that illustrates some ancient Roman building and engineering concepts , such as the use of tension . If you want to see me doing this lesson ,
check out ETC Live for an earlier session .
Mini catapult , made from tongue depressors and rubber bands .
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