Comstock Park — It was finally the big moment for fifth-grader Gwen Noe’s group: will their arrow launch?
On the first attempt, the bow got jammed.
“OK, now you need to figure out how you can get the arrow so it won’t get stuck,” said Olivia Bender, Pine Island’s science, technology, engineering and math teacher.
The four girls quickly regrouped, tossing out ideas while reconstructing their bow and arrow. On the second attempt, the arrow sailed across the room.
Cupid’s Bow and Arrow, named for the Roman God in mythology who is popular on Valentine’s Day, is an annual STEM project for fifth-graders.
She passed out more than students needed, allowing them to consider what would work best — yarn versus rubber bands, for example.
“It represents the ‘E’ for engineering,” Bender said. “Students are given a problem that they have to design, build and, specifically, actually make it work.”
At the start of class, Bender showed students bow and arrow examples made by other students before handing out supplies such as straws, Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, Q-tips, yarn, tape and pipecleaners.
“It helps them think outside the box,” Bender said.
Letting it Fly
Students had 27 minutes to build a bow and arrow and demonstrate that it worked.
Within just a few minutes, Gwen’s group already had a design for their handiwork, complete with pink heart decorations.
“I do a lot of this at home,” Gwen said. “I have two cats, and I make chew toys for them. I like making things.”
Ten minutes into the assignment, the group had fashioned its first device, but when it failed to launch, they decided to make the bow smaller, tighten the rubber band and add more weight to the arrow.
“If something is lighter, then it won’t go as far,” Gwen said to a classmate who asked about adding weight to the arrow. “If it is heavier, it will fly straighter and farther.”
Then — success — the bow and arrow worked, and each team member took turns shooting the arrow at a target on the whiteboard.
After several tries at hitting the target, Gwen decided to add a viewfinder to help the shooter make a bull’s-eye.
The arrow, launched by Abigail Gonzalez-Nunez, flew and hit smack in the center.
Cupid had hit his target and the entire group cheered.
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