Floating Parachutes Unit | K-8 STEM Curriculum

A toy inventor's parachute falls too fast — and the ball tumbles out on landing. Students investigate how gravity and drag interact to control how quickly objects fall, then test how canopy size, suspension line materials, and landing base design each affect drop time and stability. The unit culminates in a design challenge: build a parachute that floats for two or more seconds and lands a ball safely.

What Students Learn

How gravity pulls objects downward, and drag pushes back
How surface area affects the amount of drag a falling object experiences
How each part of a parachute — canopy, suspension lines, and landing base — contributes to overall performance
Authentic practice with all 8 Science and Engineering Practices

What's Included

10 slide-based lessons with embedded graphics and media
Step-by-step teacher guide with facilitation notes
Student worksheet packet with pre/post assessment
All hands-on building materials
Maker skill video tutorials
Optional Egg Drop Challenge extension (all versions)

Choosing the Right Version

Version

Features

Standards

Grades 2-3

Simple bar graphs, tournament-style data comparisons, written explanations

2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-2
3-PS2-1, 3-PS2-2
K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3
3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3

Grades 4-5

Formal data tables with repeated trials, median calculations, multiple graph types, state exam-style questions, full CER writing

5-PS1-1, 5-PS2-1
3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3

Grades 6-8

Deeper dive into gravity and drag through mathematical equations

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

Let’s Plan Your Unit!