Physics learners experiment with three laboratory activities to learn about air resistance and friction. First, they use a hair dryer to move different sized spheres to determine the relationship between cross-sectional area and air...

This lesson certainly will not be a drag! Little engineers design parachutes that make use of air resistance and, as a result, slow the descent of the payload as much as possible. It is an opportunity to teach about many motion concepts:...

Students design a skydiver and parachute constraption to demonstrate how drag caused by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth. They experience how gravity pulls the skydiver toward the earth and how...

Middle schoolers build parachutes for chicken eggs. In this physics lesson plan, students describe the forces acting on a falling object. They predict which of the three parachute models they made has the best chance of keeping the egg...

Students engage in a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works. They create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. The students test their designs, which will be followed by a class discussion...

Students study the basics of parachuting.  In this flight and aerodynamics lesson plan students make a simple parachute and investigate different variables that can cause potential problems.

Pupils study drag and how it affects a parachute in the sky.  For this parachutes lesson students build models and compare their drag. 

Students observe falling objects. They discover the rate of falling is based on air resistance and not the weight of the objects. They discuss how engineers use this type of information to design aerodynamic shapes.

High schoolers design a rocket that stays on air for the longest period of time. In this physics lesson, students research the function of different rocket components. They test their design and make necessary modifications.

Students are introduced to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight experiments. They "fly" for short periods and evaluate factors that might either increase or decrease their...

Second graders experiment to understand how force is effected by friction.  In this forces in action lesson, 2nd graders view a website to simulate what happens when the height of a ramp is changed. Students participate in an...

Students explain how drag, weight, lift and thrust work together to make something fly. In this physics lesson, students measure their jump height and record data on the table. They reason out why they can't remain airborne for long.