Which material makes a good parachute/teaching approach
Parachute investigations are always popular and engaging if framed well. A key issue is the means by which data are to be gathered. The height from which parachutes must be dropped is considerable in order for the length of time it takes to drop to be easily measurable by primary pupils, even at KS2. Help must be enlisted from another adult as supervising 30 primary pupils when balanced at the top of the wall bars is difficult and dangerous. If the school has appropriate technology, a motion sensor could be set up to trigger the stopping of the timer as the parachute touches the floor. If not, a discussion must take place as to the accuracy of human timings. For upper KS2 it is suggested that one variable is defined as the independent variable, for example, the size of the parachute or the material from which it is made. This could follow on from the investigation outlined in the activity sheets. This activity supports a number of learning types:
- Small group work - Investigation conducted by small groups reporting back to the class
- Whole class dialogue - Discussion of each situation Open-ended questions – Why did this happen? What do you think causes this movement?
- Peer assessment – do peers agree?
- Project work – linked in with the rest of the activities in this OER, topic work in design and technology, literacy, numeracy…
- Enquiry-based learning – initial presentation to the class can be framed as a problem for them to solve.Co-enquiry – children working collaboratively
- Arguing and reasoning – persuading each other about their explanations
- Exploring ideas – developing understanding of key scientific principles
