SIEGE ENGINE WebQuest

Introduction

             During Medieval Times a siege engine was utilized to conquer castles by throwing projectiles at the castles fortified walls.  In the upcoming weeks you will be designing, drawing, and building a Siege Engine.

            

Task

PART I—HISTORY OF THE SIEGE ENGINE

 

Before we get started we need to understand where siege engine’s came from.

Visit the History of Catapults website to discover the answers to the following questions?

1. What is the main purpose of a catapult?

2. What type of catapult used torsion?

3. What type of catapult used tension?

4. When and where was the first catapult created?  What type of catapult was it?

 

 

Visit the History of Trebuchet’s website to discover the answers to the following questions?

5. What is a trebuchet?

6. When and where was the first trebuchet thought to have originated?

7. Describe the benefits and attributes of the Trebuchet?

 

 

PART II—DISCOVER WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE AN ULTIMATE CASTLE DESTROYING TREBUCHET

 

Visit PBS to answer the following questions:

 

1. What types of defense did castles have? 

2. Why do you think Siege Engines were created?

 

Visit How Your Trebuchet Works to answer the following questions?

 

3. What advantages or disadvantages did wheels have on trebuchets?  Explain?

4. What effect will the length of the string have on the trajectory of the artillery?

5. How will the weight of the artillery effect trajectory?

6. There was two major ways of connecting counter weight to the lever arm.  Explain the two different connection methods?  How was one more advantageous then the other?

 

 

 

PART III—TREBUCHET TERMS

 

These are some of the terms I am looking for you to use when explaining how a trebuchet works, calculations, and list of concepts that are involved with the trebuchet.  Define the following terms:

 

Siege                                                                     Velocity

Acceleration due to gravity                              Trajectory

Energy                                                              Kinetic Energy 

Potential Energy                                              Mass

Inertia (Newton’s Second Law)                       Simple Machine

Compound Machine                                        Fulcrum

Lever                                                                    Range 

Momentum                                                       Mechanical Advantage

Distance                                                           Newton’s First Law

Newton’s Third Law                                        Friction (Static and Dynamic)

Conduct research and place your answers to the following questions in a word document or on a sheet of paper.  Answer all questions in complete sentences.

Process