RitterElementary School

Parachute Challenge

Parachute Challenge

Ritter students recently traveled to Intermediate Unit #21 to participate in a Tech Wizards Engineering challenge. Their challenge was to create a parachute with the slowest drop rate.

Students spent their time creating a variety of parachutes using plastic bags, coffee flirters, string, and tape. The design of a parachute is extremely important, because in a real-world scenario someone's life depends on the parachute functioning correctly.

Through this challenge, students have to think about the engineering that goes into the materials and designs of a parachute to ensure that they open properly and can withstand the air resistance needed to safely land. Although the process is only a small version of what engineers do to ensure the safety of skydivers, it gave the students an opportunity to put their ideas to the test.