Lesson Plan

Playing with Parachutes

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

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: air resistance, drag, gravity, Newton's laws of motion, etc. Primaries can simply design and test, while older learners are provided with background reading, a planning page, data tables, and evaluation questions to stimulate critical thinking. This resource will inspire your learners to reach new heights!

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CCSS: Designed
NGSS: Designed
Pros
  • An overview of the involved concepts is provided as reading material
  • Can be used to address Next Generation Science Standards
  • A fun activity for bringing STEM into your classroom
Cons
  • The publisher mentions meeting CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.1 and 2.MD.3, but unless you have little ones measure specific parachute canopy sizes, this standard is not clearly addressed
Common Core