Ms. Gloria Gentry's class
Ms. Gloria Gentry's 1st grade class is studying Air and Weather in their AMSTI unit. They are learning that air is all around objects, motionless or falling. Air resistance slows the fall of objects. The students talked about parachutes. The teacher asked them what they knew about parachutes. She told them that parachutes were devices that people use to jump out of an airplane and land safely. They talked about air pushing against or holding the parachute up. Each student made a parachute using a paper napkin, string, and a jumbo paper clip. The paper clip acted like a passenger on the parachute. When the students completed their parachutes, they went to the gym. They went to the top of the highest bleachers to release the parachutes. They learned that in order for the parachute to move through the air, it must push the air out of its way. The air pushing back on the parachute makes it fall slowly. When any object moves through air, it is always slowed down by something called air resistance.
Go to the web site to see the photographs of the students with their parachutes. Or click here:
http://www.westhillselementaryschool.com/?PageName='TeacherPage'&Page='PhotoAlbum'&StaffID='10931'
