Year 4 What variables could affect how slowly a parachute falls?

This week we have been thinking like scientists. Scientists have to think about many different things when they are planning an investigation. Investigations may include a question about a fair test, observations and research. After doing our own research, we discovered that when we create a fair test we need to understand which variables we can change and which points need to stay the same. In answering this week's Science question we decided there may be two things that could change - the size of the parachute or the amount of paper clips attached to the parachute (the weight of the person). We found a high place in school to drop the parachute, and we found lots of different things affect the speed the parachute falls. Just changing 1 thing in each investigation is what made this a great success to show us what it is like to think like a scientist.