Page 32 - FOUNDATIONS FOR LIFE; EXPLORING GOD’S UNIVERSE

Science Y6 – Forces and Motion – week 5

THE FORCE OF AIR / WIND

Truth to Teach (Source)

Acts 2:1-4 The Holy Spirit as a ‘violent wind’.

 Observing the effects of air / wind.

 Overcoming the force of air / wind

 Making parachutes and aeroplanes

Way to Work (Means)

Equipment: Large piece of card, paper clips, string, 20 cm squares of paper, paper, tape measure, stop-watch

1. Review the previous lessons. Talk about the above verses.

2. If it is windy let the children try running across the yard holding the card against the wind. Then let them try
running in different directions to feel the difference. Ascertain which direction the card is in when it is the most
difficult to run along.

3. Return to the classroom to talk about ways in which the force of the wind is useful to us and when it is a
hindrance, eg windmills, sailing, parachuting, flying, hurricanes.

4. Divide the class in half so that half can experiment with paper aeroplanes and half with parachutes.

Experiment 1

a) Make a number of parachutes with varying lengths of string, different sized canopies, different numbers
of paper clips attached as weights.

b) Drop the parachutes from the same height, eg standing on a chair. Time each drop with a stop-watch.

c) Record the results in a table form either on the computer or on paper. Eg

String lengths Time to drop Canopy size Time to drop

Experiment 2

a) Make a variety of different shaped and sized aeroplanes, measuring how far each one flies. Put varying numbers
of paper clips on the front of them.

b) Record the results in table form.
Paper size Distance it flies Nose weights Distance it flies

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