Science Scheme | Year 5 | Block 2: Forces | Lesson 4: Can we Plan a Parachute Investigation?
Develop pupils’ scientific enquiry skills with this fully resourced Year 5 lesson focused on planning a parachute investigation. Part of our Scintillating Science programme, this lesson encourages children to apply their knowledge of gravity and air resistance while designing a fair test.
Aligned with the National Curriculum, this lesson guides pupils to think carefully about variables, predictions, and how to conduct a reliable investigation into how parachute size affects falling speed.
What’s included?
- Detailed lesson plan
- Interactive teaching slides
- Differentiated worksheets
- Support materials for planning a scientific enquiry
- Assessment questions to check understanding
Through collaborative discussion and guided planning, children learn how to set up fair tests, identify independent, dependent and control variables, and make scientific predictions based on their understanding of forces.
Teaching tip: Before carrying out the investigation in the next lesson, use simple materials like bin bags, string, and paper clips to model what will happen and prompt pupils’ thinking.
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