In contrast to synthetics, wool is an active fibre that reacts to changes in body temperature. It helps you stay warm when the weather is cold, and cool when the weather is hot.
Using their science journals, reflect with students what they now know about wool — where it comes from, how it feels and some of its hidden properties (fire and stain resistance).
During this lesson students will have the opportunity to:
- test the thermoregulatory capacities of wool compared with cotton
- consider the implications of wool’s ability to influence the temperature of the user in a range of everyday uses.
NOTE: This lesson contains an extension activity:
- create a fair test to demonstrate how wool can help keep objects warmer for longer. Have students investigate this further at home.
Links to the Australian Curriculum:
- Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use (ACSSU074)
- Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)
- With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)
- Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations (ACSIS071)
- Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings (ACSIS216)
- Consider the elements of fair tests and use formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate, to make and record observations accurately (ACSIS066)
- Reflect on investigations, including whether a test was fair or not (ACSIS069)
- Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends (ACSIS068)
