Teaching STEM through Fairy Tales: The Princess and the Pea

In the Princess and the Pea, the princess must climb up twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds and to try to get a good night's rest.  In this challenge, students will design a parachute to return the princess safely back to the ground in the morning.

Materials
Tissue Paper
Glue Sticks
Scissors
Measuring Tape
String or Yarn
Cargo

When testing their parachutes, students should take care not to stand on tables of chairs.  In order to test from a higher height, a stairwell or balcony can be used.  If neither are available, a parachute dropper like this that clips onto the ceiling or onto a basketball hoop may be used.

Download the design brief for details: Teaching STEM through Fairy Tales: The Princess and the Pea