Young scholars discuss parachutes and write a procedure to determine the effect of different size parachutes and different masses on the time it takes the masses to fall. They record all their data from their experiment then write three...

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 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 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...

Students explore different size circles to discover the relationship between diameter and circumference. In this circles and Pi lesson, students construct simple parachutes using circle patterns of varying sizes. Students predict the...

Learners will have fun creating a parachute to collect data with. They will construct the parachute in small groups, measure the materials, and create an observation sheet. Then they drop the parachute and make predictions about how long...

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.

Students create a simple paper parachute. In this parachute design instructional activity, students examine the effects of the wind and make napkin parachutes.  

Get things moving with this elementary science unit on simple machines. Through a series of nine lessons including teacher demonstrations, hands-on activities, and science experiments, young scientists learn about forces, motion,...

Learners investigate air pressure by researching parachutes.  In this physics lesson plan, students participate in three separate experiments utilizing air pressure and paper products to test theories on parachutes.  Learners...

Students investigate how to make a good parachute. In this physics lesson, students observe the motion of parachutes as it falls and measure the time. They collect data and calculate the average descent time for each canopy shape.

Students are presented with the problem of constructing a parachute that has the maximum hang time. They construct their own parachute using available materials. Pupils drop their parachutes from a height of two meters and record the...

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

Young scholars investigate how weight affects a parachute's rate of fall.  In this investigative lesson students test parachutes, average results and conclude what makes a faster descent.

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...

Students study deceleration devices like parachutes and parafoils.

Shapes are really neat, and here's a lesson that will help learners identify shapes through song, touch, and sight. They sing a shape song as they bounce different shapes around in a parachute. They then read a story and feel each shape...

Students examine force and conduct activities that model parachutes and helicopters.  In this airplanes instructional activity students identify the forces that make airplanes fly higher and land. 

Students are giving one scooter to participate in the tag game. As a class, they create their own obstacle course in which they try to avoid the taggers in the haunted setting. To end the lesson, they discover why physical activity is...

Third graders make parachutes to learn about gravity and the science process. In this gravity lesson, 3rd graders create parachutes and observe their flight in air. Students discuss wind and gravity for the activity.

Students work together to develop their own parachuting probe. They test it and record the results. They simulate other experiments that are going to be carried out by the Huygens probe.

Students describe the design and construction of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs). They imagine that they can visit Mars and think about what they want to find out about the planet. The review the solar system and discuss distances...

Students investigate space travel. In this space travel lesson students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.

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.