STEM Challenge - Project: Skydive - Design a Parachute For Your New Business

Looking for a flexible, multi-day activity that gets your students “doing science?” Every STEM Challenge offers a hands-on, inquiry-based, student-led project designed to allow them to step into the roles of researchers and engineers.

STEM Challenge projects are ideal for use at any time throughout the school year, between units, before breaks, or during afternoons when testing weeks occur.

For teachers, there are presentations and step-by-step guides to facilitate pacing and lesson plans that align with standards. Students utilize the included notebooks to guide them through activities (both individually and in small groups), challenge them to learn new information, and reflect on and apply the information they have learned.

The Challenge:

You have always been fascinated by extreme sports which has led to the opening of your new Skydiving business on the edge of town. As the owner of the business want to ensure you purchase the safest and most accurate parachutes on the market. There are so many choices to make when considering which parachutes to purchase. Should you buy round ones, rectangular ones, large ones, small ones, plastic ones, fabric ones? The choices are endless. You decide to create a little challenge to help make your decision easier. The goal of this challenge is to create a parachute that slows the parachute down the most, but is also the most accurate. You will need to run many trials to ensure your data is solid before making a final choice. As an entrepreneur, you have invested a lot of your own money into this business and don't want to make the wrong decision. That said, you also need to remain under budget during your testing. One tragic accident could be the end of your business forever. The safety of others is dependent on you. Good luck.

What’s in a STEM Challenge?

• a video explaining the engineering challenge and setting the context for the project
• a BIG Question to guide the inquiry
• teacher presentation in PPT (Google-compatible) and Keynote
• a teacher's guide on what the teacher and students should be doing along the way
• student notebook offers
  • questions to provide the students with a framework for their inquiry throughout the entire project
  • opportunities to absorb new information and reflect on ways to use it to complete the challenge
• Using the LAUNCH process, students brainstorm with their peers and reflect on failures and opportunities, with the prospect of sharing their ideas with the world. This holds students accountable, and they will put forth the best effort, knowing that other students could critique the project.
• Each STEM Challenge contains a list of suggested supplies for its project. We were very cautious about choosing inexpensive items, and the supply list is dynamic, allowing for adjustments to individual situations. Suggested supplies include:
  • string
  • tape
  • scissors
  • plastic garbage bags (two different thicknesses)
  • fabric (two different thicknesses)
  • paper
  • hole punch

NGSS Standards

Aside from the engineering components of this project, students will be learning about precision and accuracy, maintaining a budget, describing the change in position and speed when acted on by an unbalanced force.

NGSS: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4, MS-PS2-2, 3-PS2-1, MS-PS2-2