Exploring Three Types of Natural Fabric

Students discover and explore the variety of natural fabrics found in our clothes.

Inquire: Students explore different natural fabrics with hands-on center activities.

Investigate: Students learn about natural fabrics made from silk, cotton, and wool.

Suggestions

• Other SubjectToClimate lessons on fabrics and textiles can be used as companion lessons.

• Students engage in hands-on and movement activities for kinesthetic learning.

• Students use prior knowledge to make connections to essential vocabulary and other academic content through graphics, illustrations, and informational videos.

• Students have various opportunities to engage in and practice motor skills and develop critical thinking and verbal reasoning.

• Students work collaboratively with peers for discussion and group work.

• Video guides are available for teachers.

Prerequisites

• Teacher will need to bring in natural fabric items for the lesson. These should be items you have around the house (e.g., cotton t-shirt or socks, silk scarf, tie or vest, wool sweater, scarf, or jacket).

• Teacher should decide which rotating center activities are most appropriate for their students and prepare the materials ahead of time. Materials for centers include silk scarves, yarn, glue, spoons, cups (any size), paper bags, and cotton balls.

Differentiation

• The Inspire section of this lesson may be done in the days leading up to the lesson if centers are a part of your classroom routine. The Investigate section may be split into sections after each type of fabric is introduced.

• Leveled sentence frames are provided in the Teacher Slideshow for any discussions. 

• Visual Sentence Boards are provided as an option to support student responses and can be printed out from the Teacher Document.

• The Clothing Collection Project letter is provided in Spanish and English.

• Donated clothing may be given to a local shelter and/or washed and used in the classroom for crafts.

This lesson gives students an elementary knowledge of natural fabrics (wool, cotton, silk), and their uses, sources, and methods of production. Students also learn about basic weaving, textile-making, and recycling skills. After a careful examination of the instructional materials, this lesson has passed our science review.

Primary Standards

• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
  • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
    • K-ESS3-3 Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
• Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
  • Speaking & Listening (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Supporting Standard

• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
  • LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
    • 1-LS3-1 Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.