Parachute Challenge Grade 2-3

Day 1:


How can you show that air takes up space?
What is air resistance?
Check this out : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/design-mars-parachute.html

Questions to consider:


How does the canopy diameter width affect the way a parachute works?

• affects volume and stability if it’s too small or too big
  
  

How does the width of the band affect the parachute?

• affects the stability if it’s too small- more air resistance when the band width is larger
  
  

Why is it important to consider how thick the material is?

• Too thin will break, too thick it may be to heavy
  
  

How is the load attached to the parachute?


Images of parachute:

http://www.google.com/search?q=parachutes&safe=active&biw=1124&bih=511&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=O3gYVbLoNpDToASW1oHwAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ


http://mocomi.com/how-does-a-parachute-work/

http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=32820&CategoryID=468


Criteria for product:

1. Must take longer to reach the ground than the control load takes
   
   
2. Must hold together when landing
   
   
3. Must still be attached to the load after landing
   
   

Constraints for challenge:

1. Must use only the materials provided
   
   
2. Must stay within a budget of $5.00
   
   
3. Must complete each stage in the time allotted
   
   

Day 2:

Share Load: Plastic figurine

Brainstorm: 10 minutes sketch...think about size, shape, and materials


How long will that part be? How wide?

How will you attach your load?

What shape have you created?

What materials will you choose? Why?


Circle your favorite design (share out why it is your favorite with your table group)


Review jobs; Count off in 6 groups, choose jobs


Share out your individual parachute designs.


Review price list.

Set timer 30 minutes:  Collaborate to create one design

How will did you decide on this part of the design?


Should you change anything about your parachute?


Do you know how big your parachute will be?


What materials do you need?


How much of each material do you need?


Are you within budget?


Day 3: 45 minutes

Shop for materials

Build

Questions to consider:

How does air push against things? How do other things push air?

Have the materials worked the way you expected so far?

What are you doing to ensure that the parachute holds together?

Have you tested your parachute yet? How did it do?

Have you had any challenges yet? how did you solve them?


Day 4: Continue  build and Take 3 pictures of your parachute; whole group with parachute, one close up of the parachute against a blank background, one during the test


Day 5:

Drop control load; time it


Follow this procedure:

1. materials manager drops the parachute
2. timekeeper times how long it takes to drop
   
3. recorder writes the results on observation sheet
   
4. 
   
5. speaker takes a picture of the parachute dropping, and picks up the parachute from the group
6. Answer questions 1-3 on observation sheet as a group- create a graph of the results as a group