Teachers’ notes – The wool story

Synopsis

The aim of this activity is for learners to explore and follow the process of changing a natural resource (wool) into a made resource. Initially, they are encouraged to find information about sheep and farming in Wales. Using video, learners observe some of the processes of wool production and are shown some of the ways the material changes including, shearing sheep and weaving the wool. Learners share and discuss ideas about the properties of wool and explore different objects made from wool. They consider what information they would need to collect before they plan and carry out an enquiry into one of the properties of wool.

Curriculum links

The sustainable Earth:

3. a comparison of the features and properties of some natural and made materials

4. the properties of materials relating to their uses

5. how some materials are formed or produced

Skills

Communication: 1, 2 & 3

Enquiry – Planning: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

Enquiry – Developing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

Enquiry – Reflecting: 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

Activities

Tab 1

/ A brief video clip shows aims to capture learners’ attention and interest by showing lambs trying to feed. Rollover questions prompt learners to find out more information about sheep and farming in Wales and elsewhere in the world.

Tab 2

/ Learners gather more information about sheep farming. Rollover questions encourage them to find answers to specific questions. The activity might be extended by encouraging learners to suggest and then select own questions for further enquiry.

Tab 3

/ This tab shows a sheep being sheared. Learners consider why this happens, how it affects the sheep and whether it happens to other animals.

Tab 4

/ Learners predict the steps the fleece might go through to be processed into a wool jumper. They record ideas by drawing and writing. They might exchange sequenced drawings to compare, which ideas are common across drawings and which are unusual. They might decide which processes they agree are used to change the fleece.

Tab 5

/ Learners predict what they think is happening to the wool. In the brief video clip. They are then asked to watch the same clip again but with a commentary. They should be encouraged to compare the information in the commentary to their own predictions about the changes to the wool.

Tab 6

/ Learners watch a video of wool being woven and are asked to consider what they think is being made in the video and why they think that. They could make a commentary for the video to show their ideas about the changes that happen to the wool.

Tab 7

/ Learners share and discuss their ideas about the properties of wool. They are encouraged to explore different objects made from wool and to consider how they might test their ideas and what information they would need to collect.

Tab 8

/ Learners plan and carry out an enquiry about one of the properties of wool they are interested in. They should be encouraged to develop an investigable question which has an independent variable (the variable being changed) and a dependent variable (the variable being measured as an outcome).

Unit 2.4.5 teachers’ notes – The wool story1