Catapults have been around for many years. In ancient times, catapults were used during war. Today, people use catapults for more than just weapons. They can be used to launch aircrafts and for events like pumpkin throwing contests! No matter how a catapult is used, they all work by using energy. Learn how to make your own catapult by using basic household materials such as popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons. Watch as your catapult launches objects into the air!
Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar, the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction. Instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build seven authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier John Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle.
We’ve come a long way from the Peashooter Era: with the advent of modern household products and office supplies—binder clips, clothespins, rubber bands, ballpoint pens, toothpicks, paper clips, plastic utensils, and (of course) matches and barbeque lighters—troublemakers of all stripes have the components needed to build an impressive, if somewhat miniaturized, arsenal. Toy designer John Austin provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for each project, including materials and ammo lists, clear diagrams, and construction tips, for mayhem-loving MacGyvers. The 35 devices include catapults, slingshots, minibombs, darts, and combustion shooters. Build a tiny trebuchet from paper clips and a D-cell battery. Wrap a penny in a string of paper caps to create a surprisingly impressive “bomb.” Several of the projects even include variations where combatants mount laser pointer sights to their shooters to increase their accuracy. Finally, once you’ve built your armory, the author provides plans for a Top Secret Concealing Book to hide your stash, as well as targets for shooting practice. Never let your personal space go undefended again!
What happens if you water plants with juice? Where can you find bacteria in your house? Is slug slime as strong as a glue stick? How would your child find the answers to these questions? In The Curious Kid's Science Book, your child will learn to design his or her own science investigations to determine the answers! Children will learn to ask their own scientific questions, discover value in failed experiments, and — most importantly — have a blast with science. The 100+ hands-on activities in the book use household items to playfully teach important science, technology, engineering, and math skills. Each creative activity includes age-appropriate explanations and (when possible) real life applications of the concepts covered. Adding science to your at-home schedule will make a positive impact on your child's learning. Just one experiment a week will help build children's confidence and excitement about the sciences, boost success in the classroom, and give them the tools to design and execute their own science fair projects.
From the creators of the bestseller CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS comes another zany, laugh-out-loud picture book! The Town of Left and the Town of Right are separated by a dotted yellow line, and no one on either side can remember how things got to be this way! One day, an unlucky citizen crosses the line -- forcing the Order of the Ambidextrous Knights who guard the border to take action. Unfortunately, the only ammunition they have around is marshmallows -- 50,000 boxes worth! So begins the Marshmallow Incident, a tale of Left and Right, and Right and Wrong, with an incredibly silly but delicious dose of Mallo-Puffs and Marsh-Pillows thrown in. Kids will read it once and then beg for s'more!
This "stunning journey through a country that is home to exhilarating natural wonders, and a scarring colonial past . . . makes breathtakingly clear the connection between nature and humanity, and offers a singular portrait of the complexities inherent to our ideas of identity, family, and love" (Refinery29). A chance discovery of letters written by her immigrant grandfather leads Jessica J. Lee to her ancestral homeland, Taiwan. There, she seeks his story while growing closer to the land he knew. Lee hikes mountains home to Formosan flamecrests, birds found nowhere else on earth, and swims in a lake of drowned cedars. She bikes flatlands where spoonbills alight by fish farms, and learns about a tree whose fruit can float in the ocean for years, awaiting landfall. Throughout, Lee unearths surprising parallels between the natural and human stories that have shaped her family and their beloved island. Joyously attentive to the natural world, Lee also turns a critical gaze upon colonialist explorers who mapped the land and named plants, relying on and often effacing the labor and knowledge of local communities. Two Trees Make a Forest is a genre–shattering book encompassing history, travel, nature, and memoir, an extraordinary narrative showing how geographical forces are interlaced with our family stories.
Join the "Bob Ross of LEGO" in constructing cool creations with this how-to guide that brings legendary builds to life! Looking for something a little more exciting than your average LEGO® guide? You're in luck! Not only does this spectacular book offer step-by-step instructions for fun builds and crafts, it also includes intriguing trivia, micro challenges, and advice to boost your creative confidence. You'll also learn all about the author, Adam Ward, a professional artist who hosts the popular YouTube series Brick x Brick--and who wants you to become the best builder you can be. With a difficulty rating provided for each build, this is the perfect pick for LEGO® lovers of every skill-level. Get ready to make a masterpiece!
Packed with spectacular superlatives, shocking stats, fantastic facts and fun figures, Science and Stuff celebrates the simple joy in finding things out. What can cats teach us about the laws of physics? Why was cabbage banned on the International Space Station? (Can you fart in space?) And would a penny dropped from the Empire State Building really kill someone? (Short answer: No!)But it's not all facts and stats. The feature chapter just for Makers, introduced by our very own mad professor Burnaby Q. Orbax, challenges you to attempt record-breaking science experiments at home, from the fastest Mentos & Soda rocket car to the most slime thrown and caught in a minute!Join us as we rise from the deepest depths of the ocean, where weird glowing fish hunt in the darkness, to the mountaintop observatories where scientists unravel the secrets of the universe.
