University of Northern Iowa
Clothing
As part of an investigation of the folk traditions of their area, class members research the articles of clothing worn at earlier times, the fibers and materials, and the machinery used to produce these items. In addition, class members...
Curated OER
Paper Production
Students compare paper making by hand and by assembly line. In this manufacturing lesson, students compare and contrast the two main ways to make paper, by hand or by machine. Students research paper making and have a class discussion...
Curated OER
Labour Behind the Labels - Business Studies and Citizenship
The sociology behind the creation of clothes has become quite the controversial topic these days. In many countries people, children included, are often put to work at almost a slave's wages to produce the clothes that people (like us)...
Curated OER
Made In...
Students investigate where their own items of clothing were manufactured. They read their clothing labels and identify the countries, and plot the locations with pins on a large world map.
Curated OER
Students as Consumers: The Relationships Between Communities
Students survey the clothing they are wearing to determine where it was made. They work in groups to locate the countries where the clothing was manufactured, develop questions about what makes a good purchase and work with a buddy class...
Global Oneness Project
Rethinking the Fabrics We Wear
What are fibersheds and what what do they have to do with environmental protections? A photo essay and audio recordings about Mimi Luebbermann, and her sheep, cause consumers to reflect on how their clothing choices can support local...
Curated OER
Animal Science as Agriculture
The methods by which farming and agriculture became a valid area of study and research are detailed in this PowerPoint. Also presented are the steps involved for improving productivity and efficiency. The use of scientific method and...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 10
What can consumers do to pressure companies to produce "ethically manufactured goods"? Readers examine the evidence Amy Odell uses in the supplemental text "How Your Addiction to Fast Fashion Kills" to support her argument and her...
Curated OER
Nanofibers on Your Clothes
Students relate the presence of nanofibers in clothing to its ability to repel stains. They observe and contrast the characteristics of nanofiber, Scotchguard treated, and regular fabric then test the stain resistance of each fabric...
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Oxfam
Sweatshops - Exploitation Is Never in Fashion
Here's a resource that brings home the idea that we are all part of a global community, that our actions have far reaching consequences. Class members examine the labels in their clothes, create a list of the manufacturers, the countries...
Nuffield Foundation
Investigating Enzymes Used in Laundry Detergent
It's a win-win situation: learn about enzymes and get clean clothes, too. Young scientists add enzymes to a dilution of laundry detergent. They apply them to stained fabrics to determine the effectiveness of the enzyme-filled detergents.
World Health Organization
Sun Protection
Primary graders become sun scientists and conduct experiments to learn about the beneficial and harmful effects of the sun and UV radiation. They also investigate their personal sunburn danger zones and learn about how to protect...
Curated OER
Labeling the World
Sixth graders conduct research on the countries found on the labels on their clothing. They locate the countries on a map, research the labor practices on countries that export clothing to the U.S., and create a graph using the information.
Curated OER
Discovering Forest Products
Learners identify attributes of natural and manufactured wood products. In this forest products instructional activity, students perform independent research to find an article about forest use or forest products. They spread out samples...
Curated OER
Introduce Solids
Students identify and interpret a variety of solid materials - cloth, wood, metal, plastic, paper, and rubber. After a period of free exploration, they then describe the properties of the objects and develop vocabulary in order to...
Curated OER
Telling Tales About Textiles
Students analyze the different types of textiles, processes for creating cloth, and inventions utilized to manufacture industrial goods. In this Telling Tales About Textiles lesson plan, students weave on a card loom to create their own...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 13
Class members conclude their reading of the supplemental text, “Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Who Really Pays for our Cheap Clothes?” and use the provided Evaluating Argument and Evidence Tool to analyze the evidence Anna McMullen uses to...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 14
As a mid-unit assessment, writers use evidence from the supplemental reading articles "Globalization," "Our Addiction to Fast Fashion Kills," and "Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Who Really Pays for Our Cheap Clothes?" to draft an argument...
Curated OER
Wages, Earning Power, Profit, and Responsibility: International Lessons
Learners participate in an interactive activity to determine where their clothers were made. They examine the lives of children from Latin America who harvest crops in the fields or manufacture apparel in factories.
Curated OER
WHAT MAKES OUR BLUE JEANS BLUE?
Twelfth graders become aware of the environmental, social and economic issues related to the production of blue jeans. They explore the relationship between individual clothing choices as well as global issues. In addition, they...
Curated OER
Making Soap
Students explore what chemical indicators are and use pH paper to determine if something is alkaline or basic. In this pH lesson students manufacture their own soap.
Curated OER
Clothesline Sleuth
Third graders discover the origin of an item of clothing. In this clothing lesson plan, 3rd graders navigate the net to locate information related to various fabrics. Students answer questions and define vocabulary about fabrics. ...
Curated OER
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Mill
Students participate in a simulation of wool trading in the 1800's. They pass around a ball of yarn at various stations to simulate the interdependence of each stage of the wool trade, discuss what happens when there is a problem in the...