Projectile Motion and its

correlation to history
This topic was made to show students how
math and history actually have an impact on
each other, specifically in warfare.

The unit covers from pre-WWI weaponry,

through the cold war and how math changed
those weapons.
Rationale- History:
History projects are something can really help them understand
how history has changed throughout and influenced history.
Because of that, the students doing the assignment and project will
enjoy see where history has evolved.

Mathematics: Mathematics projects are few and far between. To

introduce a unit problem will ignite learning by necessitating what
students are learning in class to have a direct application to their
project. Students will build an enduring understanding, and gain
relevancy through real life mathematical modeling.
Enduring understanding
We hope to show students how the advancements in tech, particularly math, has changed many of the
the weapons we use to wage war. We will be looking at old weapons, such as cannons and trebuchets,
looking at their uses and where they were lacking and then move in to modern artillery, gas warfare and
bombing. Students will come out with a better understanding of how the way war was fought changed.
Essential questions:
1. How did weaponry change throughout history in war?
2. How did it improve and how can we track that improvement?
3. Is how we fight war still changing?
4. What technological advancements changed warfare?
5. Is how war is fought today different from the past? How?
6. How has math influenced the weapons?
7. Where can math be used in this sense?
8. Is it possible to construct a model of one of these weapons and examine how the math works?
 Historical resources and Math resources
Walters, E. (2014). War of the Eagles. Victoria: Orca Book.

Hynd, C., Alvermann, D., & Qian, G. (1997). Preservice elementary school teachers' conceptual change about
projectile motion: Refutation text, demonstration, affective factors, and relevance. Science Education, 81(1), 1-27.

Yabushita, K., Yamashita, M., & Tsuboi, K. (2007). An analytic solution of projectile motion with the quadratic
resistance law using the homotopy analysis method. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and theoretical, 40(29),
8403.

https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2017/summer/feature/world-war-i-changed-america-and-transformed-its-role-in-
international-relations

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-changing-face-of-warfare-in-the-21st-century/

Gilbert, M. (2008). The First World War: A complete history. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
Performance task
Students will engaging in not only reading and writing, but math equations in order to understand just
how much war changed over time. Students will also be able to determine whether or war is still
changing and what this means to their future possibly. By writing and making these connections, we
understand if they truly see the correlation.
Major Math and History Assignments
SWBAT analyze the changing nature of warfare in WWI in order to speculate how warfare
might change in the near future by writing a short comparison piece essay detailing how war is still
changing today.

SWBAT compare the military strategies of WWII with those of WWI by writing a DBQ that explains how
war was fought differently in only 20 years. Final assessment test to show proficient knowledge

Math: Week 2: Students will still be gaining content knowledge but will now start to converge on what
they need specifically for the project.
● Second derivative tests Week 3: Students will construct and launch their trebuchets this
week.
● Lesson on optimization word problems strictly about projectile motion
● Students will read Catapult Design, Construction and Competition with the Projectile Throwing
Engines of the ancients
● Build trebuchet
● Launch projectiles
The project itself: the building

A trebuchet and a short essay detailing war has

changed and it is going.
What the class will be doing to prepare
Students will learning the fundamentals of projectile motion and applying that history

Students will be reading and writing about war has evolved other time

Students will have time to research old and new weapons to compare them

The purpose of them building the Trebuchet is that they not only get to build a historical weapon that
changed how was fought, they get to use math to figure its angles and why it was effective.
How we expect the students to act
Expectations are high are we using technology and building something that can launch objects.

Students must be respectful of one another

Students must technology properly to ensure its proper use

Project is due on time and if not, they will lose 10% each day it is late

Class time is appropriate for research.

Where is warfare headed?
To figure this out we do these: Mock trebuchet

Short essay on how warfare, based on what world war one, might change in the near future.

Example is in google drive.