Fourth graders construct a parachute using specified materials in a set amount of time. They observe a toy parachute attached to a toy man and discuss what makes him move slower or faster. Then in small groups they design, construct,...

Drop a perfect project into your lesson plans. Groups use different building materials to create models of parachutes for food drops. After testing out their prototypes, they make improvements to their designs.

Bring the science of space exploration to the classroom. Young learners explore the mechanics of the parachute-landing mechanisms on the Mars Rover. They design and build their own parachute models and test their ability to land a probe...

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

Sixth graders make 2 different kinds of parachutes and record and graph the time for each one for the different drag forces. In this parachute lesson plan, 6th graders compare the results to the rest of the class of each parachute and...

Students control the parachutes using arm movements. They follow directions while participating in games. Students explore the effects of wind on several objects. They study the effects of shape, size and weight on a parachute.

Motion is the focus of ten hands-on activities that challenge scholars to build machines invented by Leonardo da Vinci. Following several steps, small groups work collaboratively to recreate machines including levers, pulleys, wheels,...

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. 

In this science challenge learning exercise, students construct a parachute that will have the longest time in seconds and best accuracy when dropped from a predetermined height. Then they use the formula given to determine the...

You have to crack a few eggs to make a good engineer! Working in small groups, young scholars design, build, and test devices that protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a ladder.

The classic egg-drop experiment gets a new bounce with an activity that asks pairs to design a lander similar to one used to land a rover on Mars within a fixed budget. The activity provides a great introduction to the idea of...

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 study deceleration devices like parachutes and parafoils.

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. 

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 describe in words and graphic displays the elevation or depression profile of sections of Mars' Olympus Mons and/or Valles Marineris. They explain how orbiting spacecraft build up global maps one data slice at a time.

Students observe a demonstration presented by the teacher covering different types of energy. They participate in an experiment where they study numerous physics vocabulary words and visit websites that demonstrate examples of these...

Tenth graders experiment with gravity and air pressure. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders build their own kits and fly it. They investigate the questions: what keeps a kite in the air and what are some important factors when flying a...

Students examine how spacecraft land on Mars. Using eggs or lightbulbs, they design a craft that withstand a drop from a table or ladder, competing in groups to see which module demonstrates the most successful landing.

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 investigate the physics of flight through various experiments. In this physics instructional activity, students construct different flying objects. They explain the dynamics that make these object fly.

For this science worksheet, learners read about the Mars Pathfinder. Students also answer 2 comprehension questions about the reading.