The Smallpeice Trust

ENGINEERING
The
Parachute
@ HOME Challenge

03
#EngineeringAtHome
Suitable Time
for ages: needed:

5+ 1hr+

Curriculum links: Maths – shapes, measurement; Science – forces, air resistance, materials; D&T – design, make, evaluate
Skills learnt: Design, building, testing, evaluation
Since our Smallpeice team can’t visit schools, Learning Objectives
we’ve decided to challenge each other to make Create purposeful, functional and appealing designs

a parachute which you can test at home.
Select from a wide range of materials and use tools to
perform practical tasks
Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger
and more stable
Evaluate your ideas and products against design criteria

Topics Covered
AIR RESISTANCE
https://bbc.in/3bTPOlS
FORCES
https://bit.ly/2Jyyp6n
CALCULATING VELOCITY (AGES 12+)
tinyurl.com/upvzo2s

ENGINEERING@HOME 02 The paddle boat challenge 02

WHAT MATERIALS TO USE

You can use cardboard, plastic, wood, or anything

else that works well and you can get at home.
Try looking in your recycling box.

HERE’S WHAT WE USED:

1. CARDBOARD
2. STRING/RIBBON
3. SELLOTAPE
4. SCISSORS
5. BAMBOO SKEWERS
6. EGG CARTON
7. SANDWICH BAGS
8. BUBBLE-WRAP
9. 1 HARD-BOILED EGG

ENGINEERING@HOME 02 The paddle boat challenge 03

INSTRUCTIONS

H3

H2

H1

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Create a basket for Create a parachute Attach the basket to the Test the parachute When you are confident
your precious cargo. using a light material parachute using string, without the cargo from it will work, test the
Make sure it can fit with a large surface area ribbon or any material a very low height. parachute with your
comfortably and can (we used sandwich bags). you can find. cargo from a series of
You’ll need to check that
enter and exit freely. different heights.
the parachute opens
correctly and slowly falls
to earth.

ENGINEERING@HOME 02 The paddle boat challenge 04

NEED A CHALLENGE?

If you complete your parachute and Once you’ve got your parachute
want to challenge yourself further: performing at its optimum, film it in action
1. Try and find different materials.
and share your video on:
Can you improve the performance?
Can you make it lighter?

2. Calculate the speed that your parachute falls. www.facebook.com/TheSmallpeiceTrust

SPEED = Distance ÷ Time
For our example, the parachute travelled 4.5m in 1.1s
www.twitter.com/SmallpeiceTrust
4.5 ÷ 1.1 = 4.2 metres per second Use the hashtag #EngineeringAtHome
Extension: can you convert the speed into
miles per hour (mph) or kilometres per hour (kph)?
You may need to look up the conversions online. www.instagram.com/SmallpeiceTrust

3. Draw a force diagram showing the forces acting on the

parachute.

4. Film a video and send it to us!

ENGINEERING@HOME 02 The paddle boat challenge 06

STEM Day Risk Assessment

Risk
Assessment Engineering at Home Projects
for
Assessment
31/03/2020
undertaken on
Assessment
Jessica Lee
undertaken by
Signed

No. Activity/area Associated risk Who is at Existing control measures in place? Level of Responsibility
being assessed risk? risk (low,
medium,
high)

1 General Activity Slips, trips and falls: Injury due Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. Deliverer reminds students about M Students and adults
and Workspace to tripping over items adults safety in video introduction.

2 Use of Materials: Injuries: Injury due to paper Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
paper/card, plastic cuts, cuts from sharp edges adults
containers
Injuries: Injury due to misuse

3 Use of materials: Injuries: Injury due to use as a Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
elastic bands, missile adults
sellotape, glue
stick, blu-tack, Slips, trips and falls: Injury due Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor.
small toys, paper to slipping on dropped items adults
fasteners, LEGO
pieces, nuts & bolts
or equivalent. Injuries: Ingestion risk of Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor.
choking. adults

4 Use of materials: Injuries: Cuts from sharp edges Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
plastic, corrugated adults
carboard

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 No. Activity/area Associated risk Who is at Existing control measures in place? Level of Responsibility
being assessed risk? risk (low,
medium,
high)

5 Use of sharp tools: Injuries: Cut to self Students Activity supervised by adult supervisor. M Students and adults
Scissors, craft
knives

Behaviour: Cut to others Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
adults

Behaviour: Vandalism of School or Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
property home

6 Testing of projects: Spillage of water on floor: Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
bathtub, drop from damage and injury due to slip adults
height, items on
floor Slip, trip or fall: Injury due to Students and Activity supervised by adult supervisor. L Students and adults
falling from testing area, adults
tripping over items in testing
space

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