Why do we wear clothes?

“This was a fantastic lesson! The video was fun and helped develop some really good conversation. The engineering design project was a perfect way for them to apply their knowledge of the different properties of materials. ”

· Lynn · Teacher · about 5 years ago

“Easy materials to get together and kids had fun learning about properties. A few giggles during the "Why do we wear clothes part", but Doug saying "so we're not embarrassed" as an example helped. The hats turned out great and the student presentations of them was the best part!”

· Lisa · Teacher · about 5 years ago

“I was surprised by the creativity my students showed when designing their hats, and even the students who receive special education support could discuss how and/or why they made their hat the way they did.”

· Carrie · Teacher · about 5 years ago

“How easy it was! Students were really prepared on making their hats and deepening their thinking about the best properties for hat materials. ”

· Ali · Teacher · over 5 years ago

“Loved the blend of science and engineering! Also, the assessment really pinpointed which skills related to properties the children need to review.”

· Nancy · Teacher · over 5 years ago

“I have taught this lesson with multiple classes and it is an engaging anchor lesson to discuss the properties of materials. It is age appropriate and vocabulary rich. ”

· Suzanne · Teacher · over 5 years ago

“The students loved showing their creativity while constructing their hats. The amount of knowledge they retained and vocabulary they were able to use while sharing their hats gave this teacher warm and fuzzies. ”

· Sarah · Teacher · over 5 years ago

“The children were engaged and loved creating the hat. I was so surprised that they were able to discuss in small groups. They explained the softness, stiffness, and the absorbency of the materials they used in making their hats. It was a great activity!”

· Francesca · Teacher · over 5 years ago

“Making the hat! We loved the extensions too. The song about properties is great. We can't wait for the next lesson.”

· Jennifer · Teacher · over 5 years ago

“Students loved the hands on project. It was raining that day, so we even took our hats outside to see how they would hold up on a "rainy" deserted island.”

· Gina · Teacher · about 6 years ago

“My students enjoyed the "real-life" story and problem that needed to be solved! I liked the video imbeded into the "stop and talk" portions. So very well planned out. I am sharing with everyone I know! Thank you!”

· Lisa · Admin · about 7 years ago

“How guided it is for kids (and adults!) and interactive. I've yet to find a mystery science lesson that the students don't LOVE and learn a ton from :) THANK YOU”

· Ashley · Teacher · about 7 years ago

“I really liked testing the properties of each material and that the students knew what they were testing for. The students loved making the hats. It was fun and so much more interesting and engaging than other "properties of matter" lessons I have done.”

· Joyce · Teacher · about 7 years ago

“The kids were excited to learn about what they would need to wear in different weather to keep safe”

· Alysha · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“Kids loved be engineers and designing their own hats without directions! This was an awesome lesson for me as a teacher to FORCE students to think ON THEIR OWN without my help! It was hard! I just told them I wasn't on the island with them. They were on their own. Valuable lesson learned.”

· Kari · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“The students were super engaged and loved it so much! They kept asking if they could take home their hats to show off to their families! Thank you! ”

· Vanessa · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“The Mad Hatter activity was fantastic! I was skeptical at first that my students would get into the project, but I was amazed at the discussion at the tables and the cooperative learning and sharing that happened. I can't wait until Mystery 2!”

· Debbie · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“The children were engaged at all times. They learned why materials are chosen to make different products.”

· · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“I did this one last year and my students this year loved it just as much! So engaging and hands-on. It's especially topical and relevant because we live in Hawaii and sun protection is a daily concern!”

· Laurel · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“Loved it all. She was a big fan of the extra online games. Once again, this was an all-inclusive lesson in that we were able to use the extras as Language Arts!”

· Stephanie · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“The kids went crazy...in a good way...making hats! GREAT first week of school activity!”

· Dena · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“This was a lot of fun for my girls, they are begging to do more.”

· Robyn · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“My girls tested their hats in our FL sun. My oldest told some neighbors walking by ALL about the lesson. LOL”

· April · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“I would suggest doing the stiffness test before the absorbancy test, so the materials aren't wet. Reduce waste. I gave each group of 4 a small piece of each material for testing purposes, saving the whole pieces for making the actual hats. Also, I added (because I have many ELL students) a portion where they made a diagram and labeled the materials they planned to use. Then used a sentence frame like, "I will use ____ for ___ because it is ____." This did make the lesson longer, but provided planning, making a diagram practice, and language building. So I did the actual hat-making in a second session.”

· Kelly · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“good activity for directions ”

· Ami · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“Love the EXTRAS in this one! Great links to BBC.”

· Monica · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“This was a really engaging, enjoyable lesson! I used it for STREAM summer school and the students loved it ;) Thank you, Mystery Science!”

· Charisse · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“Watching the students use the materials differently and in ways I hadn't thought of was awesome!”

· Annika · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“The hands on engineering and the sharing at the end. The whole lesson worked well. I can't wait to use another. THANK YOU!”

· Alice · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“kids were super psyched to have a hat fashion show at the end and explain why they made their hats the way they did.”

· Tammy · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“Kids loved making the hats, and considering which materials would work best for which purpose. We contextualized it to our "hot field day" activities, beyond the island on the video... connecting to their school activities.”

· Ursula · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“The kids loved using the materials in a variety of ways to meet the criteria and construct their hats.”

· Mary · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“The pacing of the lesson, along with the vocabulary/concepts (opaque, absorbent, properties, etc.) were excellent. Making the hats was a blast, and my students wore them to lunch and recess because they were so proud of them. Total student engagement and this lesson was a good lead in to our next topic, plastics in the ocean environment. Thanks!”

· Janet · Teacher · over 7 years ago

“Watching the kids puzzle through the hat design, and the fact my son now knows the words transparent and opaque at only 7 years old. He sounds super-smart :)”

· Jonna · Homeschooler · over 7 years ago

“The whole thing. The teachers loved it. I did it as a professional development.”

· Cindy · Other · almost 8 years ago

“This was a marvelous STEM activity! My students loved it and did a great job with it.”

· Joelle · Teacher · almost 8 years ago

“We LOVED making the hats. I also loved the videos and explanations. This made my job sooo easy!”

· Jordan · Teacher · almost 8 years ago

“Good for multi-age group in a homeschool setting -- 11yo, 9yo, 5yo. We're using as an enrichment”

· · Homeschooler · almost 8 years ago

“Determining the properties of the materials before making the hats was the best part!”

· Becky · Teacher · almost 8 years ago

“Talking about properties of clothing and then actually making a hat for our desert island was so great to help them understand that clothing is much more than just to cover your nakedness :) Which was about the extent of their background knowledge on the purpose of clothes when we started. Haha.”

· Susan · Teacher · almost 8 years ago

“watching the students let go of self-consciousness and begin to use their imaginations, ask classmates for help, and then taking pride in their creations.”

· Martha · Teacher · almost 8 years ago

“The kids loved it! It was super easy to set up and they were incredibly engaged for at least 30 minutes!”

· Robin · Teacher · almost 8 years ago

“I loved watching the kids manipulate and think about how they were going to put the materials together to make their hat. They came up with some really clever solutions and they were all able to explain the design process considering the properties of each item!”

· Catherine · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“Students were completely engaged in thinking about the materials they were using and why they did what they did.”

· Stephanie · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“Great Examples, great narration, great experiment! High student engagement! We love Mystery Science!!!”

· Alisa · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“The boys really enjoyed making their own hats. Later that night they were even able to explain to their dad why they made their hats and why each part was important! I love that the lessons reach them in such a way that when Daddy asked what they did in school they have a real answer instead of just "I don't know....stuff."”

· Ginger · Homeschooler · about 8 years ago

“I taught this with a small group of first and second graders. They enjoyed pretending they were stranded on a deserted island, watching the videos, and designing their own head gear. As with all of the Mystery Science lessons, this was well organized with all of the supplies clearly laid out, entertaining and informative videos, and a fun hands-on activity. Great resource!!”

· Peggy · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“I LOVED the organization of the lesson and how SIMPLE it was to execute and teach. I really felt the lessons you provide help me focus on the most important part which is the actual teaching- not on paperwork or supply collecting. And the video lessons are PERFECT for my students! Assessments are great too! I can't wait to do more Mystery Science!”

· Deborah · Admin · about 8 years ago

“Kids who rarely engage created some of the BEST hats! So cool!”

· Kelly · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“The students loved using what they learning about different properties to design their hats!”

· Tashien · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“Super fun! They loved making the hats. My ELL student who struggles the most made the best hat and it was great to see him be successful and then go on to help others instead of always being the one receiving help. Thanks for another great lesson. It was especially relevant because we live in Hawai'i and could totally relate!”

· Laurel · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“My class was crazy about this lesson! I heard from many parents at conferences that their children have been fashioning clothes out of odds and ends at home! I can't wait until Wednesday when we get started on our next lesson!”

· Amber · Teacher · about 8 years ago

“The kids definitely had fun testing the properties of the various materials, especially pouring water on things to test absorbency. And they made some pretty cool hats. ”

· Amy · Homeschooler · about 8 years ago

“The engineering aspect of the lesson really brought out the creative edge in kids. Many of them enjoyed the fact that they are allowed to take their creations home and I feel it's something they are going to value for a long time. ”

· Patrick · Teacher · over 8 years ago

Hat Inspiration worksheet	1 per group
Mad Hatter’s worksheet	1 per student
Aluminum Foil	9" per student
Clothespins Binder clips or hair clips will also work.	Details 2 clothespins per student
Paper Cups (8 oz)	1 cup per group
Paper Lunch Bags	1 bag per student
Paper Plates	1 plate per student
Paper Towels	1 sheet per student
Plastic Spoons	2 spoons per group
String Yarn or ribbon also work.	Details 3 feet per student

Spanish narration on!

Click play to start.

¿Por qué nos ponemos ropa?

material

metal

tiempo

impermeable

absorber

opaco

tieso (o rígido)

suave

propiedad

diseñar

ingeniero

Image & Video Credits

20 mins

35 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Readings

Video

Activity

Mini-lessons

Transcripts

Spanish narration on!

Click play to start.

¿Por qué nos ponemos ropa?

material

metal

tiempo

impermeable

absorber

opaco

tieso (o rígido)

suave

propiedad

diseñar

ingeniero

Image & Video Credits

Featured Reviews

Activity Prep

Prepare Supplies

Engineering Teacher Tip

20 mins

35 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Readings

Video

Activity

Mini-lessons

Transcripts

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