Cupid's Air-rows.

Challenge
February is Cupid’s month and who is Cupid without his bow and arrow he uses to help people fall in love? But Cupid is experiencing some trouble with his arrows. They seem to be going too slow to reach his designated targets. He needs your help to make Valentine’s Day a success. This is your challenge to design an arrow protocol that is speedier than Cupid’s current arrows. Since you will be making a protocol arrow by representing an object, think about the materials being used. What types of balloons will make the best arrow? Are different shapes better than others? How can the materials be manipulated for best use? How can you make the arrow look like an arrow and be aerodynamic?

Your arrow creation does have some criteria and constraints. You can only use one balloon in your design. The finished product has to resemble an arrow Cupid would use by using the construction paper as design aspects. It has to be placed on the straw line system to be tested. It has to travel about 10' and hit the target to stop the time trial. Finally, the speedier, the better.

Materials

• various types of tape (scotch, masking, packing, duct, etc.)
• scissors
• straws
• various types of balloons
• binder clips
• construction paper
• string

Hints and Tips for Success

1. Set up the “shooting range” straw line. Insert about 12’ of string through a straw. Place two chairs (or similar tall objects) about 10 feet from each other. Tie the string onto the back of each chair so it is taut. The straw should easily glide along the string and be far enough off the ground so balloons can glide along it as well when attached. Place some kind of paper target (heart) at one end to indicate the stopping point of the timer. Set up multiple straw lines if wanted to test more arrows concurrently.
2. Make sure to standardize the starting point of the straw each time. If needed, draw a line on the string for where the straw has to start. Students could choose where they attach their arrow on the straw as long as the straw starts in the proper place.
3. Discuss with process with students for how they will blow up their balloon, place the binder clip on their balloon to not let air out, design their arrow, attach it how they would like to the straw for it to glide along the string, remove the binder clip, start the timer, and stop it when the arrow hits the target.
4. Allow students planning and discussion time by having them experiment with the balloons to see what shapes they become and how fast they release air.
5. After experimenting, allow student groups to plan their design by drawing it out and labeling their materials being used. Include as many ways to improve their balloon arrows as needed.
6. For differentiation, adjust the amount of materials available and allowed to use, add any additional materials, take away certain materials, adjust the length of the shooting range, show examples of how it works. Adjustments could be made to make it more challenging or simpler.
7. Connect to science by discussing Newton’s Third Law, force, properties of matter, aerodynamics, pressure, etc.
8. Connect to social studies or ELA by researching Cupid in his different mythologies and current adaptations.