Air: Design a Parachute for a Lego Person

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by STEMToolkit Administrator

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Problem  Lesson Focus: Students will understand the importance of a parachute.

Materials:


Procedures:

Capture Students attention with VR Skydiving VR Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-55ww4JsuY 

Tell students that they are going to be responsible for the safety of a Lego Person Skydiver

Introduce the challenge to the students. Tell the students that in groups of two they need to maximize the air resistance so the Lego Person can have a safe landing from the second to the first floor. A Lego Person lands safely as long the Lego Person was in the air for at least 3 seconds.

Introduce the vocabulary and key concepts to the students through a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZYwsAvHgVw  and/or Students may read information https://k8schoollessons.com/air-resistance-for-kids/

Show students different provided materials

Have student teams brainstorm ideas of what materials they could use on their project. Students need to record ideas in the Engineering Design Process worksheet

Students need to sketch  their initial ideas and design in the Engineering Design Process worksheet or Students may write/ sketch/draw their process.


Lesson 2: Create A Prototype    Lesson Focus: Students work in teams to finish prototype sketches and build their prototypes


Materials:

Supply Sets per group

Lego Person, Tissue Paper, 2 Feet of String, Rubber Bands, Coffee Filters, Pipe Cleaners, Plastic Grocery Bag

Procedures:

The students will work in teams. The students need to design a prototype using the provided materials. Recording their build process in the Engineering Design Process worksheet or Students may sketch/draw their process.

Lesson 3: Test Prototype   Lesson Focus: Students Test Prototype

Materials:

Supply Sets Per Group: Lego Person, Tissue Paper, 2 Feet of String, Rubber Bands, Coffee Filters,

Pipe Cleaners, Plastic Grocery Bag Stopwatch


Procedure

The students will work in teams. The students will test their prototype’s landing. Recording their build process in the Engineering Design Process worksheet or Students may sketch/draw their process.

Lesson 4 Re-Design       Lesson Focus: Students redesign their Protype - Make Improvements

Materials:

Lego Person, Tissue Paper, 2 Feet of String, Rubber Bands, Coffee Filters, Pipe Cleaners, Plastic Grocery Bag, Stopwatch

Procedure:

  • The students will talk in their groups about what went well, and they will talk about how they can make adjustments to their parachute.
  •  The students will redesign their parachutes.
  • Students will record their decisions in the Engineering Design Process worksheet. or Students may sketch/draw their process.


Lesson 5 Re-Test   Lesson Focus : Students Re-test Prototype

Materials:

Lego Person, Tissue Paper, 2 Feet of String, Rubber Bands, Coffee Filters, Pipe Cleaners, Plastic Grocery Bag, Stopwatch

Procedure:

  • The students will talk in their groups about what went well, and they will talk about how they can make adjustments to their parachute.
  • The students will re-test their parachutes.
  • Recording their build process in the Engineering Design Process worksheet or Students may sketch/draw their process.
  • Students will complete the Vocabulary worksheet or may audio record their responses.



Lesson Conclusion:

Class Discussion:

As a class groups will discuss:

  • What did teams find worked?
  • What didn't work?
  • How did those findings effect the re-design?
  • What do we know about Gravity?
  • What do we know about Air Resistance?
  • What do we know about a Parachute?


Material to Turn in:

Students will turn in completed Engineering Design Worksheet and Vocabulary worksheet. 

Students may rate themselves as a team partner by using the PBL Teamwork Rubric



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