Skip to content

Lesson 2: Construct-a-Chute

Lesson 2: Construct-a-Chute

Objective:

Students will construct a modified parachute and collect precise descent time data to prepare for statistical comparison.

Materials:

  1. Materials for parachute construction – enough for each group to construct 1 parachute:

    1. Tissue paper or plastic bags

    2. Scissors

    3. Ruler

    4. Tape

    5. 1-hole punch

    6. String, yarn, twine or fishing line

    7. Weighted item of approximately 4.5-5.5 grams (examples: small non-breakable action figure, Lego mini-figure, 25 mm binder clip or metal washers)

    8. Location from which to drop a parachute from the same height.

  2. Stopwatches – one per group

  3. Tape measures – one per group

  4. How to Make a Parachute handout (LMR_U2_L01_A_How_to_Make_a_Parachute) – one copy per group

  5. Parachute Modification Descriptions file (LMR_U2_L02_A_Parachute_Modification_Descriptions) Advanced preparation required. See Class Setup section for additional details.

  6. Compare-a-Chute Descent Times handout (LMR U2_L02_B_Compare-a-Chute_Descent_Times) – one copy per group

Vocabulary:

n/a

Essential Concepts:

Essential Concepts:

Accurate data collection is important to ensure that differences between distributions are due to the independent variable rather than uncontrolled factors.

Lesson:

Class Setup

  • Advanced preparation required.

    • For the Parachute Modification Descriptions file (LMR_U2_L02_A), cut into strips to distribute one strip to each group to assign their parachute modification.

Opening

  1. Show students the Parachute P1 with the 144 in2 canopy and inform them that the goal for the day is to act as engineers to modify the design of the Parachute P1 and collect clean data that minimizes error and then compare the descent time data of the Parachute P1 to the descent times of the reengineered parachute.

    Concept Development

    Part 1: Engineering the Prototype

  2. Provide a copy of the How to Make a Parachute handout (LMR_U2_L01_A) to each group and briefly review how to construct a parachute. You can also have students watch the Make a Parachute video.

  3. Distribute and assign one strip from the Parachute Modification Descriptions handout (LMR_U2_L02_A) to each group.

  4. Distribute one copy of the Compare-a-Chute Descent Times handout (LMR U2_L02_B) to each group for them to use for data collection,

  5. Make the needed construction materials available to each group and provide 15-20 minutes for students to construct their modified parachutes.

  6. As groups work, remind them of the importance of precision in the construction of their parachutes for reliable data collection.

    Part 2: Data Collection

  7. Assign group roles that include:

    GROUP ROLES:
    The Pilot
    • This student ensures a clean release and announces when they are releasing the parachute. They maintain the required standards for each drop.
    The Data Clerk
    • This student manages the Compare-a-Chute Descent Times handout (LMR_U2_L02_B) ensuring that they write a description of their group’s modification and each successful drop is numbered and recorded clearly to the nearest hundredth of a second.
    The Timer
    • This student operates the stopwatch and maintains focus on the payload. They start the timer when the Pilot says “go” and stop the timer when the payload touches ground. They report the time of the descent, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a second, to the Data Clerk.
    The Quality Inspector
    • This student watches each flight path to ensure it does not hit a wall, get caught in a draft or tangled. Calls “No-Drop” if the conditions of the drop did not follow the required standards.

  8. As a class, review the “Rules of the Drop” from Lesson 1. Things to consider include:

    1. When does the timer start – typically when the parachute is released.

    2. When does the timer end – typically when the payload touches the ground.

    3. From what height is the parachute dropped – varies depending on what options are available. Suggestions for drop locations include from balconies, in stairwells if open enough, from the top of playground equipment like a slide, from a stage, or from gymnasium or stadium bleachers.

    4. Mechanism for the drop – suggestions include finger grip, clothespins, chip clips or binder clips.

  9. Answer any questions students have about the task and then provide time for groups to perform 20 successful drops and record the needed data. Remind groups that if the parachute hits a wall, gets tangled, or the timer misses the start or landing, the trial is to be discarded and repeated. Stress consistency over speed.

    Closing

  10. As groups finish, have them review their data. Ask them to look for their minimum and maximum times and whether they look like they belong or if they appear to be possible extreme values.

  11. Discussion: Engage in a class discussion around standardization. Ask students to look at the times for the first 5 drops and compare them to the times for the last 5 drops and ask if the first 5 times seem as accurate as the last 5 times. Discuss how teams may have gotten more standardized as they practiced.

  12. Transition: Ensure all groups have a table with 20 descent times ready for analyzing with CODAP in the next lesson.

  13. Exit Ticket: Consider the original data collected for Parachute P1 and answer the following questions: Based on the raw numbers you collected today for the drop times of your assigned re-engineered parachute, how do you think your data will compare to the data from Parachute P1? What is one specific reason, either from the design or the drop technique, that explains why you expect this result?