Parachute+Design-+Whitney+Jones

= Parachute Design= Angie King - Editor =Abstract:= In this activity, students will have a chance to research the “best” materials to make a stable, attractive, accurate parachute that will have the longest drift time. They will then build their ideal parachute based on their research, and through testing the parachutes will see how accurate of inaccurate their research was.

=Who is this Lesson Designed For:= Subject/Grade: Grade 6 Science Unit: Flight 64 Topic: Parachutes Duration: 4 class Periods (30-40 minutes per class)

=GLO'S, SLO's, ICT Outcomes= // Students will: // 6–6 Construct devices that move through air, and identify adaptations for controlling flight.
 * __General Learning Outcomes: __**

//The students will:// · Recognize the importance of stability and control to aircraft flight; and design, construct and test control surfaces. · Describe and demonstrate instances in which air movement across a surface results in lift · Conduct tests of a model parachute design, and identify design changes to improve the effectiveness of the design. **__Learning Objective: __** //The students will:// research the materials that will make a stable, accurate, rugged, and long drifting parachute  2.1 seek responses to inquiries from various authorities through electronic media 2.1 select and use technology to assist in problem solving 2.2 use data gathered from a variety of electronic sources to address identified problems
 * __ Specific Learning Outcome: __**
 * __ICT Outcomes: __**
 * C.2 - Students will seek alternative viewpoints, using information technologies. **
 * C.6 - Students will use technology to investigate and/or solve problems. **

= = =**Period 1- Lesson Plan Delivery**= = = Computer lab, worksheet ("Researching How To Make A Parachute) *see below*, and the rubric/outline for this assignment ("Parachute Design Project") *see below*
 * Materials Needed:**

=
First give a quick overview of parachutes. What are their uses in the world (ie. Who uses them, and for what.) Ask students what they think makes a “good” parachute. Ask the students to consider that a good parachute should have a long drift time, be accurate in its landing, be stable, and be rugged. May need to explain to the students what the word rugged means. The materials it is made of will affect all of these qualities. Have a discussion of what materials and work and what ones wouldn't. Discuss why some materials work better than others. Hypothesize what material will make the best parachute and then have them construct and test their hypothesis. It is good to introduce students to scientific inquiry at an early age, so including words like hypothesis are important. The goal of this series of lessons is to first research what materials (that can be obtained by the students) will make the best parachute. They will then construct the parachute, fly the parachute, and then analyse their research, based on the success of the flight of their parachute.====== Remind students of how to research on the internet. They should be considering several things as they are conducting their research such as: - what search engine is appropriate, try using a few to get different results - what key words and phrases can we use to narrow our search (make sure to check your spelling!) - Remember, + means plus and, - means minus - are the sites you are looking at reliable or not and how to tell - remind the students to reference ideas that are not their own Perform a search on the SmartBoard with the students to illustrate the points above
 * Lesson Body:**

Hand out the rubric that students will use on “test” day, so they know how they are being marked and discuss it. (see below) Students will have the rest of the class to research what they think will make the best parachute. They will use the worksheet “Making a Parachute” to guide their research. Some items that students research that make excellent parachute materials may be hard to get a hold of at home. For example, some materials may not be household items that students can pick up and bring to school the next day. Perhaps this research project would be better done separately. For example, students can research what the best materials are for parachutes, and then have them carry out the experiment using a variety of other materials (that may not be the most effective) that the teacher provides. Remind the students to bring the materials to make their parachute for the next science period. Are students working in pairs, groups or on their own? Perhaps students could learn more effectively if they are in pairs or groups of three. Then they can work together to test their hypothesis. Also, how long are the classes each day? How much time are you spending on the introduction? How much time are you spending ont he lesson body etc. This lesson looks like it might pass really quickly. Do you have a sponge activity for the students to complete if you finish the lesson early? Usually at this level, a science lesson may be 30-40 minutes. I think this would be a good thing to include in you lesson plan so that a substitute teacher could come in and know when to switch from one activity to the next.
 * Conclusion:**

=Researching How To Make A Parachute= (Worksheet) What material will you use to make your parachute?

How many shrouds will you use?

How long will the shrouds be?

What weight will you use at the bottom of your parachute?

What shape will your parachute canopy be?

How big will the canopy of your parachute be?

Will you include a vent (hole) at the top of the parachutes canopy?

Any additional information that will help you build your parachute:

References:

Why do you think these websites are credible? You may need to discuss the worksheet with the students before they begin their research to review terms used when discussing parachutes and flight. You may also need to discuss with the students how to properly reference a website.

=Parachute Design Project= (Outline/Rubric)

Day 1: Use the Internet to research that “best” materials and configurations to make a parachute. Gather your research by completing the "Researching How To Make A Parachute" worksheet. Make hypothesis before doing research so students have something to test on test day. Day 2-3: Build your parachute to your specifications. Day 4: Test your parachute! We will go to the foyer and mark each parachute based on the rubric below, which has 4 main criteria:

__Drift Time__- The length of time that the parachute stays in the air before hitting the ground. 4- the parachute is in the top 3 parachutes for drift time 3- the parachute is ranked 4th-6th for drift time 2- the parachute is ranked 7th-9th for drift time 1- the parachute is ranked more than 10th for drift time

__Accuracy-__ How close to a target the parachute is able to land 4- the parachute lands inside the target 3- the parachute lands within 40cm of the target 2- the parachute lands within 80cm of the target 1- the parachute lands more than 80cm away from the target

__Stability-__ How evenly balanced the parachute travels through the air 4- there is no spinning, flipping, and the parachute is balanced 3- there is some minor flipping, and spinning, and the parachute is generally balanced 2- there is flipping and spinning, the parachute is not balanced as it falls 1- there is a lot of spinning and flipping, and the parachute is unbalanced as it falls.

__Overall Construction-__ The durability and appearance of the parachute 4- appears durable, and is pleasing to the eye with attention paid to detail 3- appears durable, is generally pleasing to the eye with some attention paid to detail 2- somewhat durable, is somewhat pleasing to the eye, but construction could have been more careful 1- not durable, appearance lacks appeal, construction lacks care

You will receive a mark out of 20 for this project from me, and will complete a self evaluation out of 20 for a total of 40. Perhaps come up with a better marking system for Drift time. It may not work effectively to compare one student's parachute to another student to come up with your marks. The marking system should be based solely on their own parachute, not a comparison to other students in the class. Will the students be using the same rubric for their self evaluation? You need to discuss this with the students.

=Period 2-3- Lesson Plan Delivery= Students will need to bring from home any materials they require. However, the teacher can supply basic items like tape, scissors, glue, etc. Have some exemplars collected from previous years out for the students to look at as they enter the room. Have students help to set 3 ground rules. Make sure the rules involve noise level, staying in their own space, and staying on task. The students will have the remainder of the time to construct and test their parachutes in the classroom. Remind students that they need to have their parachute ready for testing in period 4. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teacher needs to have back up plan in case students forget their materials and are not prepared for making their parachute. Will students who forget recieve a zero on the assignment and not learn anything about parachutes, or can students work in groups, or will the teacher have extra materials the students can use? I think that the teacher should provide the materials so that everyone is prepared and there is no confusion.
 * Materials Needed:**
 * Anticipatory Set:**
 * Lesson Introduction:**
 * Lesson Body:**
 * Conclusion:**

=Period 4- Lesson Plan Delivery= Students will need to bring their completed parachute, and the teacher will require the rubric for marking the experiment *see above*, a stop watch (to measure drift time), and a hula hoop (to measure accuracy.) After testing is compete, students will each need a copy of the "Parachute Design Project- Self Evaluation" to fill out individually. There should be a huge amount of excitement for students already entering this class! They will be hyped up to see what the "best" parachute will be. Hand out one or two prizes for the top parachute/group. Have the order of the students on the board so they can get organized. Explain to the students what will happen; the majority of the class will be on the main floor, but there will be two groups on the second level. The groups that are on the second floor will be waiting quietly and patiently to drop their parachutes. Go to the foyer and test the parachutes! After to students are finished, have them complete the self evaluation. Discuss what they think worked the best/worst. What were the pros/cons of completing research before constructing. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a lot of class time left over after test day, you can have a large discussion about what students would change in their parachute. You can have them discuss with other groups how they conducted their research and how they built their parachute.
 * Materials Needed:**
 * Anticipatory Set:**
 * Lesson Introduction:**
 * Lesson Body:**
 * Conclusion:**

=Parachute Design Project= (Self Evaluation)

On a scale of 1 to 4, four being that you strongly agree, 1 being that you strongly disagree, answer the following questions: 1.<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> My partner and I used our in class time wisely.

2. I did my fair share of work. 3. My research was accurate. If I was to do this project again, I would keep the following things the same (4 marks) 1. 2.

If I was to do this project again, I would change the following things (4 marks) 1. 2. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, this lesson is built very effectively. There are a few minor changes, such as you did not mention whether the project was done in groups or individually (you did mention something about groups at the very end). Also, I think it would be beneficial to include a time scale of when activities should be happening. It should also be noted how long the classes are so that effective sponge activities can be included in lessons that go by too quickly. I feel that a more constructive rubric for the students would be more effective. They can recieve prizes for the best parachute, but I don't think they should be marked according to their placement. Also, you need to be careful about asking students to bring in materials. Some students do not have a good support system at home and forget to bring things to school. Make sure you have a back up plan in place in case a few students forget their materials. = =