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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 6 - 8

Design a Parachute

After a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works, students create parachutes using different materials that they think will work best. They test their designs, and then contribute to a class discussion (and possible journal writing) to report which paper materials worked best.

A skydiver releasing his colorful parachute in the sky.Students make their own parachutes

Aerodynamics and fluid flow concepts are used by engineers to design planes, parachutes and ships. Accounting for drag is an important aspect of these designs; engineers redesign the shape and materials used to get better results.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Adopt techniques for designing a parachute that falls slowly.
  • Determine which type of material works best by testing different options.
  • Understand how air resistance plays a role in flight.

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