Other
Designing Parachutes
Upper Elementary
Motion & Stability
Earth’s Systems
In Classrooms
Students test the effects of different variables on parachute performance and engineer a parachute.
unit Overview
Students use the Engineering Design Process to design a parachute that falls as slowly as possible. Students investigate how to manipulate a parachute's canopy size, canopy material, and suspension line length to create the most drag force to slow it down.
- 5 lessons (8–9 class sessions)
Standards Alignment
We’ve developed each EiE unit with careful attention to educational standards in both science and technology/engineering.
unit Resources
Digital Resources (FREE)
YES provides these materials free of charge! Use the link below to download resources from our Google Drive.
Download ResourcesPurchase Materials
Educator Guide Pack -
$69
- Full-color print educator guide, plus multiple sets of heavy-duty reusable color-print resources (ex. vocabulary cards, materials glossaries, station signs, and student instructions) for the class.
Materials Kit -
$389
- Hands-on materials to support 30 learners.
Unit Map
Students are introduced to the concepts of engineering and technology. (30–40 min.)
The class reads a storybook in which a boy named Paulo living in Brazil explores the field of Aerospace Engineering in order to design a parachute to safely retrieve fruit from a high tree. (90–120 min., 2–3 sessions)
Students consider the different conditions in different parts of the Solar System and imagine how spacecraft might address these conditions. (50–55 min.)
Students investigate how changes in a parachute’s material and size affect how quickly it falls. (90–115 min., 2 sessions)
Students follow the steps of the Engineering Design Process to imagine, plan, create, test, and then improve their own parachute designs. (140–170 min., 2 sessions)
Teacher Preparation Videos
View all unit videos on YouTube
How to Create an Arm Extender
How to Construct a Demonstration Parachute
