Science Scheme | Year 5 | Block 2: Forces | Lesson 5: Can we Make and Test our Parachutes?
Carry out a full scientific investigation into air resistance with this fully resourced Year 5 lesson. Part of our Scintillating Science programme, this lesson builds on the previous session, guiding pupils through making and testing parachutes to explore how size affects falling speed.
Aligned with the National Curriculum, this lesson helps children practise setting up fair tests, making observations, measuring accurately, and recording results systematically.
What’s included?
- Detailed lesson plan
- Interactive teaching slides
- Differentiated recording sheets for results and observations
- Practical guidance for building parachutes using simple materials
- Assessment questions to check understanding
Children work in groups to make parachutes, test them under controlled conditions, record their findings, and begin to draw simple conclusions based on evidence. A great opportunity to apply working scientifically skills in a meaningful, hands-on context.
Teaching tip: Encourage pupils to reflect on their original predictions and discuss any anomalies they spot in their results.
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