Victorian Curriculum Links

Science Understanding

Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives (VCSSU073)

The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment (VCSSU075)

Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (VCSSU074)

Science Inquiry Skills

With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be based on previous experiences or general rules (VCSIS082)

With guidance, plan appropriate investigation types to answer questions or solve problems and use equipment, technologies and materials safely, identifying potential risks (VCSIS083)

Decide which variables should be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests and accurately observe, measure and record data (VCSIS084)

Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to record, represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data (VCSIS085)

Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations (VCSIS086)

Communicate ideas and processes using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and to identify simple cause-and-effect relationships (VCSIS088)

Activity Description

In this design activity, students investigate materials engineering as it applies to weather and clothing. Teams design and analyse different combinations of materials for effectiveness in specific weather conditions.

Key Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson students will be able to:

• Learn about different engineering disciplines.

• Use the engineering design process to solve a specific design task.

• Learn how to evaluate and choose materials based on material properties.

• Explore the concept of a prototype.

• Sketch and build a prototype of a design including a cross-section view.

• Develop methods for communicating a design solution to a group

Materials

• Thermometer

• Scissors

• Material analysis sheet - one per person

To share with the entire class:

• a variety of cloth scraps, such as felt, cotton, fleece, polyester, etc.

• a variety of other materials, such as aluminum foil, plastic wrap, brown paper, shower curtain liner, etc.

• needle and thread

• duct or masking tape

• 1 or more fans, as a source of wind

• 1 or more spray bottles filled with water

• 1 or more containers of ice

• (optional) water repellent spray

Instructions

Tune in

What different types of clothing do you use in different types of weather?

• What dangers do people face in extremely hot or cold weather and how can they be protected?

• What factors are important to consider when designing clothes? (Example ideas: Cost, quality, how long it takes to make a product, accessibility of materials, product life, appearance, utility, style, etc.)

Discussion:

The way you dress always impacts your comfort, but during extreme weather conditions it can be important to your survival. People sometimes think that fashion designers are the only ones who participate in designing clothes, but in reality, many engineers are at the forefront of designing new fabrics and clothing materials for every weather condition — from sweltering hot to freezing cold and everything in between. These engineers must take cost, comfort, durability and much more into account for the success of their designs.

Clothing has always had the main purpose of providing protection and comfort from heat or cold. Once those two things are achieved, engineers asked the question, "What's next?" The study of materials engineering has led to research and development of textiles (cloth) that resist stains, repel water, resist wrinkles, or last longer. Though some of these fabrics look just like they did before, they might contain tiny fibres or a special coating that gives them new properties. Some textiles are blended with fibres of silver, gold and polymers to improve their durability and functionality. Other fibres are coated to help them become water resistant.

Engineers are always asking the question, "What's next?" in their designs. When it comes to improving textiles and materials for the health and safety of people, they use their knowledge of weather, electronics and the natural world to create clothing that can benefit and even save the life of the wearer.

Today, we are going to be materials engineers that analyse the properties of available materials for an extreme weather condition. Think about how the materials you analyse could be blended or combined to create clothing to keep people safe and comfortable. Ask yourself, "What's next?" The possibilities are endless.

Remember dark-coloured clothing absorbs heat and is suited to cold environments. Light-colored clothing reflects heat and is great for hot climates. Cotton "breathes," while leather does not. Layers of clothing are the best protection from the extreme cold.

Activity

Before the Activity

• Gather materials. Place different types of fabric, aluminium foil, plastic, etc., at a Materials Station for students to choose from for "blending" or layering of material to create a new material prototype. Water repellent spray can be used as a coating form of material modification.

• Make copies of the Materials Analysis Worksheet.

• Develop a Testing Station in the classroom. This station should include a fan (wind), spray bottle (water/snow) and a container of ice to demonstrate cold temperatures

 With the Students

1. Tell the students that they are designing a new layered material that can endure the harsh conditions of a blizzard, including high winds, wet snow and cold temperatures. They will work in teams to analyse several different existing materials in order to design a new layered material.

2. Their task is to develop a design that combines one or more of the materials that they have tested. After the prototype (model) is developed of this new layered material, it must be tested at the testing station to determine how well the material holds up during wind, wet snow and cold.

3. Show and discuss the engineering design process.

4. Students work through the worksheet in their teams.

5. For the analysis, wind is provided by the fan, water from snow by the spray bottle, and cold temperature by the container of ice.

6. Next, have students choose which of their tested materials they want to use in their new material designs and explain why they are choosing those materials. (What makes these materials good for blizzard weather conditions?)

7. Have students imagine and sketch out designs using their chosen materials. Encourage student teams to share their different designs and have them move into the fourth step of the EDP (plan) by selecting the most promising solution. Have them draw designs of their new materials and how the individual pieces will be layered. Approve student designs before they begin creating their prototypes. Ask students about their thinking in formulating their designs. Why do you think this will work? Do you think it would be comfortable? Would you want to wear it? Why or why not?

8. Give students time complete step 5 and 6 of the engineering design process and create and test their new material using the provided materials.

9. Have students complete their worksheets, analysing how well their new materials functioned, what changes they would make, and how they could be used during blizzard conditions.

10.  Have teams present their creations to the class and explain their reasoning for their new materials and the processes used to test them. What do you think that blizzard weather would be like? How well would your new material work in those conditions? How would you market this material to a community who might experience a blizzard?

Assessment

Class Presentation: Have student groups present their new materials to the rest of the class and explain the thinking behind their designs. Have students discuss the effectiveness, comfort and durability of their materials. Have students also think about cost and aesthetic factors in their designs. These are all things engineers consider when developing new textiles or materials