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Course: Middle school physics - NGSS > Unit 5
Lesson 1: Unit 2 activitiesActivity: How can a skydiver fall safely?
Make science come alive in your classroom with this free hands-on activity aligned to middle school NGSS standards.
Activity: How can a skydiver fall safely?
Imagine you are in an airplane 4,000 feet above the ground. You have a parachute packed on your back. You take a deep breath and then…you jump out! Down you go!
Jumping out of an airplane may seem like a scary idea, yet skydivers land on the ground at a safe speed every day. How is this possible? In this activity, students will use coffee filters and their knowledge of forces and motion to develop an explanation.
Overview
This activity is designed to be completed in two 45-minute class periods, with additional time required for follow-up creative projects. The activity consists of the following parts:
- Setting the stage—Students review the fundamentals of forces and gravity, as well as develop an understanding of air resistance. (10 minutes)
- Investigation (Part 1)—Students drop open and crumpled coffee filters and compare their motions. Students use their observations to draw conclusions about the relative strengths of the forces on each filter. (10 minutes)
- Investigation (Part 2)—Students nest and drop increasing numbers of coffee filters together. Students use Newton's second law to explain the different motions observed in each case. (25 minutes)
- Let's get creative!—Students apply their knowledge to create an informational poster for skydivers explaining why they will reach terminal velocity, which allows them to land safely. (45 minutes).
- Keep creating!—Students can choose from additional project ideas. Each project encourages students to combine scientific knowledge with creativity to produce something new.
Download the worksheets and get started today!
You can print out this activity or upload it to a digital classroom.
- Student activity guide (7 page worksheet)
- Teacher guide (step-by-step instructions)
NGSS performance expectations
MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
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