Hands-On History: Third Graders Bring the Punic Wars to Life: December 15, 2025

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 History came alive in an exciting way as our third graders wrapped up their Ancient Rome unit with a hands-on, high-energy activity inspired by the Punic Wars. Instead of simply reading about history, students stepped into it—transforming their classroom into a friendly battlefield filled with learning, creativity, and a lot of flying paper.


Students were divided into two teams, each representing opposing sides from the Punic Wars. Using materials they designed and built themselves, students created catapults to launch paper projectiles across the room. Before the showdown began, teams discussed strategy, tested designs, and made adjustments—putting problem-solving and engineering skills to work alongside their history knowledge.



The activity gave students a deeper understanding of how ancient warfare worked while reinforcing key concepts from the unit, such as innovation, strategy, and the importance of resources and planning in historical conflicts. It also encouraged collaboration, critical thinking, and perseverance as students refined their catapults to improve accuracy and distance.



This culminating project was a perfect example of how hands-on learning helps students make meaningful connections to the past. By combining history with engineering and teamwork, our third graders didn’t just learn about Ancient Rome—they experienced it in a way they’ll remember long after the last paper projectile landed.







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