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Notes for teachers

This lesson works best if each student uses their own materials for the first investigation, then students work in teams (ideally 3) to create the parachute

This lesson works best with 1st and 2nd graders, but it can be adapted for use with kindergarten. You can show students how sycamore tree pods fall and use a whirly bird template

Don’t feel tied to the materials list, use what you have on hand and available. If you don’t have enough similar small figures, you might use hot wheels, markers, pencil sharpeners, etc. Students in this age group tend to be happy to use their imagination to turn classroom objects into characters.

This will likely take 2-3 40 minute sessions

List of Materials

scrap paper (sometimes I use catalogs, sometimes I just grab a stack of unwanted errors from the copy room, I collect paper all year, but if you have to, you can use regular copy paper or lined paper.
whiteboards or paper for recording predictions
1 small figure for each group (about 8) Lego minifigures are great, but I like to use Playmobil characters. McDonald’s Happy Meal toys can work or counting teddy bears, whatever you have around.
materials for building a parachute (toilet paper tubes, twine/string/yarn, coffee filters, scrap paper, plastic bags, school paper towels, regular paper towels, tissue paper. Again, whatever you have around can be used, don’t get stuck on specific materials.

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Standards

Engineering:

K-2-ETS1-2.

Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

K-2-ETS1-3.

Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Standards

Science:

2.P1U1.1 Plan and carry out an investigation to determine that matter has mass, takes up space, and is recognized by its observable properties; use the collected evidence to develop and support an explanation.

1.P3U1.3 Plan and carry out investigations which demonstrate how equal forces can balance objects and how unequal forces can push, pull, or twist objects, making them change their speed, direction, or shape.

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Objective(s):

to carry out teacher guided investigations

create and test our own ideas

work as a team to combine ideas to build the best parachute for a minifigure

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Agenda (lesson time)

Intro - Day 1

test paper and modify to create fastest - Day 1

explore materials, share ideas and plan parachute -Day 1-2

test parachutes - Day 2

modify if time allows - Day 2/3

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

I show the students a photo of my figure on the screen and introduce him at Pete. Pete is a wild and crazy guy, and he really wants to fly! We have to help Pete because he is about to jump from as high as he canin our classroom, which is as high as the teacher standing on the tallest desk. A ladder would be safer, and a better example for students, so if you can wrangle up a ladder, I recommend that. Hold Pete from where he will be falling from to show the students the distance he has to go. Pete wants to fly, but we don’t want him to get hurt, so we have to build him a parachute. BUT, we have never BUILT parachutes before! We will have to figure out what makes a good parachute before we can build.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Tell the students the materials they will be using to create the parachute (yarn, plastic bag, paper towel, 2 sheets of paper, toilet paper tube, for example)
Tell the students we will do a little investigation with the paper first.
Have students fold and cut a paper in half, or cut it for the students beforehand if time allows.
Each student needs two halves of the same kind of paper. It is OK if half the class has construction paper and the other half has lined paper, as longs as each student has 2 of the same type of paper (both construction or both lined papers)
Instruct students to leave on sheet flat, no rolling crumpling or folding at all.
Instruct students to crush up the other half into the smallest ball possible. They can press it into the table of that helps. It is a lot of work for tiny hands to crumple the paper, so give them plenty of time.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Next, have students hold the two papers above their heads. This prevents them from throwing the papers. Instruct students to drop the papers from above their heads and notice everything they can.
Students should have a space (I like a shared team whiteboard, but individual whiteboards or papers will work, too) where they can record everything they notice and everything they wonder. Pictures and words are OK!
Invite students to keep dropping, noticing, and recording.
Invite students to watch another classmate complete the drop.
Walk around and check out what the students record. You may find students recorded the way each paper falls, which one lands first, how small their ball is compared to other students and if that ball lands faster or slower. how each paper LANDS, such as with a bounce, etc.

Stop to sit and discuss what they have recorded. Students can share at tables and then as a class. Students may try to get up and test out what others are sharing, and you may allow or not allow this.
Ask students why one hits the ground first.
Ask why they fall at all, why don’t they just stay in the air
Introduce the vocabulary terms gravity, drag and air resistance.
Provide the next challenge. Can the students get the flat paper to hit the ground faster by folding it or crushing it differently?
Take some time to observe student success, beware they may ask for more paper.
When we folded the flat paper, we were trying to make it more aerodynamic. We wanted it to cut through the air quickly. We want to do the opposite for the parachute.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Show this video on “How Does a Parachute Work?”
Here is another video
We are not going to create anything that fancy, because Pete’s arm’s aren’t strong enough to pull a ripcord.
Explain the goal:

We want to slow down Pete’s fall

Stand at the height you will be dropping Pete from. Adjust your arm, knowing that you will have to hold the parachute, so Pete will be a little lower than if you hold him as high as you can right now. You could also do this from the top of a playground structure or another open air area.
Drop Pete from the height and try to time how long it takes. You may have to stick to a quick oral count if you are unable to start and stop your timer while balancing precariously on school furniture.
Tell the students they will be successful in their parachute build if they can get Pete to fall more slowly than he just did without the parachute.

You may keep a plain Pete around so that you can drop him at the same time as the Petes in parachutes for comparison
I like to take a toilet paper tube, cut it in half and then hole punch about 6 holes around the top. I also allow students to use a pipe cleaner. This removes the need for students to devise a way to connect pete to the parachute by tying anything.
For first grade, I require the use of the toilet paper tube
For second grade, I let the teams decide if they want to use it or if they want to tie the chute to Pete.
I provide one class period to plan and build this is a perfect time to encourage the engineering design process. Encourage students to agree on one design in their team before any building begins

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Students who can’t agree may be able to agree to try one design first, and then move to a second design if the results are not what they hoped for.
Encourage students to test test test! They should not wait until the class testing time to see if it works. They cannot stand on chairs or tables, but they can hold it over their heads to see if Pete stays in and if it helps to slow him down. They may want to use a Plain Pete to test against.
When students finish, test their parachutes against the time that was set by plain Pete or by dropping a Plain Pete with their chute.
If students finish and test and they are unsuccessful, I ask them to consider what they could change and try it.
If you have successful teams, you can have them compete against each other by dropping 2 teams at the same time and taking the slowest falls to compete against each other.

Be sure to point out why the designs are or are not working
Allow students time and opportunity to learn from each other by viewing each others final test.

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Assessment

When students are finished, they should write, as a team, 2-3 sentences about the design they chose to build and whether or not it was successful. Before asking students to write, have them share ideas as a class, writing some key terms and ideas on the board for students to refer to as they write their final summary.

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Differentiation

Pair students who struggle with writing with students who are successful with writing in the same group, so that the assessment will be fair. Be sure to monitor that all students are contributing ideas to the final assessment, even if they are not all writing.

Purposely pair helpful students with students who need help

Allow teams to finish organically, so students who need more time can be the last group to test.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students compete against other teams and redesign as necessary.

Have students try to create a paper airplane that will carry Pete.

Have students design a parachute that is successful for 2 Petes.