Elevate Your Science Curriculum with the Parachute Design Challenge: An Aerodynamic Exploration for High School Students!

The Challenge

Equipped with everyday materials such as plastic bags, strings, and small weights, students will embark on a mission to design and construct a parachute that can safely deliver a cargo to the ground.

The resource is geared towards students in high school. If you're looking for a similar challenge that is better suited to middle school students, click here.

This resource is crafted to propel your students into the thrilling world of Aerodynamics and Physics, providing a practical approach to STEM education through experiential, collaborative, and project-based learning.

Your resource also includes my STEM Challenge Journal so your students can keep track of their STEM progress throughout the year!

Educational Goals

Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this challenge delivers a meaningful and memorable educational journey. Your students will:

• Explore the physics of forces and stability in structural engineering.
• Understand the significance of material properties and how they influence structural design.
• Participate in the entire engineering design process, from idea to execution.
• Develop teamwork and communication skills through cooperative group challenges.
• Hone their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, essential for academic and career success.

The challenge is designed to meet NGSS standards, encompassing HS-ETS1-1, HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3, and HS-ETS1-4, among others.

This resource includes:

• Detailed Challenge Guide: A step-by-step process to introduce the challenge objectives, guide the design process, and facilitate your students' engineering explorations.
• Construction Strategy: Instructions to aid students in planning and constructing their tower, promoting a thorough understanding of the engineering concepts at play.
• Reflective Questions: Thought-provoking questions designed to stimulate reflection after the challenge, deepening students' grasp of the underlying scientific principles.
• Extension Research Questions: Additional questions that promote further inquiry that push students to investigate modern engineering feats and historical architectural techniques.
• The Science Behind the Challenge: An explanation of the science behind the challenge so that your students can better comprehend what is happening and why.

If you're looking for more STEM Challenges to use in your High School classroom, I also have these in My Store:

• Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge
• Acoustic Instrument Challenge
• Parachute Challenge
• Solar Oven Challenge
• Paper Ball Run Challenge
• Wind-Powered Car Challenge
• Pasta Bridge Challenge
• Simple Telescope Challenge
• Sturdy Platform Challenge
• Paddle Boat Challenge

• Craft Stick Dome Challenge
• Water Filtration System Challenge
• Balloon-Power Rocket Challenge
• Pasta Tower Challenge
• Aluminum Foil Boat Challenge
• Marshmallow Catapult Challenge
• Straw Tower Challenge
• Egg Drop Challenge
• Paper Bridge Challenge
• Paper Chair Challenge

Why Choose My Challenge?

• User-Friendly: This activity is easy to set up with basic classroom materials, making it highly accessible for teachers and students alike.
• Versatile: The challenge can be tailored to different skill levels and learning styles, ensuring that every student is engaged and challenged.
• STEM Culture Promotion: Incorporating this project fosters a classroom ethos that values curiosity, creativity, and the joy of engineering discovery.