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Go over the information with the students about the history of the
parachute and how it helps reduce the speed at which a person free falls
from a plane. Utilize the Teacher's Text for the information needed for
this and simplify the facts for your students where possible.
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Proceed to the playground area. Choose a spot where there will be
enough room for the children to spread the parachute out. Then have the
children each take a spot on the edge of the parachute and hold with
their two hands, making sure to space the children far enough apart so
that they will not bump each other when they raise and lower their arms.
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Go through the first exercise where you have the children in unison
raise and lower the parachute. Please see the detailed explanation under
"Overview" for how to proceed.
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Then do the second exercise that is explained under "Overview" with
the children.
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And lastly, do the third exercise that is explained under "Overview"
with your class. Ask the children to think up variations of these three
exercises to do with the parachute to observe how the air resistance
pushes upward against the descending parachute. These forces oppose the
downward pull of gravity, causing a reduction in the speed of the fall
of the ball.
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After completing the exercises return to the classroom and have a
further discussion about the dynamics that take place with a parachute.
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As a fun extension you could ask the children to write a short paper
on what it would feel like to actually jump out of an airplane with a
parachute attached to your back.
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