Which material makes a good parachute/Lesson Document
Make a parachute using a square of tissue paper. Cut four strings or lengths of wool, all of equal length. Tie or tape one to each scrunched up corner of the tissue square. Tie a card wheel to the loose ends of the strings to represent the parachutist (a Lego man would be even better!)
Which material makes a good parachute?
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 sheet.
The parachute is good for teaching about air resistance and the children can set about testing a few. They might use different fabrics, a paper plate, a balloon or a serviette. They might try them with or without a hole in the top. Timing the parachutes is not easy and you might reasonably ask if their tests have been fair and whether they could repeat their results and get the same answer. They can use a spreadsheet to record the time each parachute takes to fall. And they can sort the list and draw a bar graph to compare the parachutes. Are larger parachutes better? Is there a connection between the size of the parachute and the time it takes to fall? Does a hole in the top help?
| 1 | Parachute testing | Fall time | |
| 2 | Balloon | 6 | |
| 3 | Plate | 13 | |
| 4 | Serviette | 10 | |
| 5 | Nylon | 5 |
Things to think about
- Consider framing the investigation as an open-ended enquiry eg What criteria determine the ‘best parachute’?
- Parachutes are wonderful activity for exploring variables. Make a list of all the variables you could change.
- Choose one variable to explore. How could less able/more able children record and present their findings?
