L E S S O N     P L A N

 

SUBJECT:  Science

 

GRADE LEVEL:  8th Grade (± 2 Grades)

 

DURATION OF LESSON: Three 40 minute periods

 

LESSON TITLE: Leonardo da Vinci’s Parachute

 

NJ CORE CURRICULUM CONTENT STANDARDS: 5.1.8.B.1

5.1 (Scientific Processes) All students will develop problem-solving, decision-making and inquiry skills, reflected by formulating usable questions and hypotheses, planning experiments, conducting systematic observations, interpreting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating results.

B. Inquiring and Problem Solving

1. Identify questions and make predictions that can be addressed by conducting investigations

 

FOCUS DISCUSSION:

•  Discuss the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci

•  Discuss some of the inventions that Leonardo da Vinci visualized hundreds of years before their actual invention

•  Discuss steps involved in the scientific process

 

OBJECTIVES: After completion of the lesson SWBAT make, record and analyze scientific predictions and have an understanding of the scientific process

 

PRE-REQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: none

 

MATERIALS:

•  Small Toy parachute

•  Assembled Da Vinci parachute (parachute template)

•  Inquiry Packet (1 per student)

•  Information Packet (1 per student)

 

DESCRIPTION OF LESSON:

Teacher Will:

• Lead the students through the a discussion about Leonardo da Vinci and his insights into inventions of flight

•  Explain to the students the scientific inquiry process

•  Lead the students through the da Vinci parachute experiment

Students Will:

•  participate in a discussion about the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci, and the scientific inquiry process

•  make a sketch of the da Vinci Parachute model

•  make predictions about the flight of the da Vinci parachute

•  observe and record test of a modern and da Vinci parachute

•  read the Da Vinci Parachute article that talks about a successful test of a full size parachute using da Vinci’s design and materials from da Vinci’s era.

 

ASSESSMENT:

The teacher will collect the Inquiry Packet and grade the students according to their effort

 

SELF REFLECTION OF LESSON: