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DISCUSS:

Why do people wear clothes? How many reasons can you come up with?

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DISCUSS:

What kind of hat do you think you need?

What properties will your hat need to have?

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Anchor Connection Discuss. Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart. Have any questions been answered by the past lesson?

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Step
01/10

In the past lesson, you did a stiffness test. Materials that are stiff are called rigid. Materials that are not stiff are called flexible.

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Step
02/10

Discuss. Which of your hat materials were flexible? Which were rigid?

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Step
03/10

This person is wearing a special hat. Discuss. Do you think it is rigid or flexible?

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04/10

This hat is called a hard hat. It is rigid. Discuss. How does a rigid hard hat keep this person safe?

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Step
05/10

The clothes this person is wearing have to be flexible. Discuss. Why do clothes have to be flexible? (Hint: this person has to be able to move while they work.)

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Step
06/10

The last thing is the face shield. It is rigid, but not as rigid as the hard hat. It stops things like sparks from hitting this person’s eyes and face.

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Step
07/10

Discuss. Where does the worker wear flexible things? Where do they wear rigid things? Why?

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Step
08/10

Get your copy of the Beat the Heat worksheet.

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Step
09/10

Add the word rigid where the person is wearing something rigid. Add the word flexible where the person is wearing something flexible.

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Step
10/10

Save this paper. You can put it on a bulletin board for everyone to see, or just set it somewhere safe. You will add to it after the next lesson.

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material

1 of 11

what something is made of, like metal, wood, or plastic

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metal

2 of 11

a natural material that is often shiny and you cannot see through it

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weather

3 of 11

what the air is like at a particular time and place

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waterproof

4 of 11

does not absorb water

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absorb

5 of 11

to soak up liquid, like a sponge does

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opaque

6 of 11

you cannot see through it, such as with the walls of a building

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stiff

7 of 11

cannot bend easily

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soft

8 of 11

squishy or smooth, not hard or rough

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property

9 of 11

something you can observe about an object or material

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design

10 of 11

to make a plan for creating or doing something

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engineer

11 of 11

a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems

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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration

boat by zeesenboot , used under CC BY

shag rocks by David Stanley , used under CC BY

jump by Eric Benacek , used under CC BY-SA

private island by Christopher Michel , used under CC BY

Mission Beach by Paul Toogood , used under CC BY

running towards water by Beshef , used under CC BY

bug by U.S. Department of Agriculture , used under CC BY

rain drops by Praveen , used under CC BY

snowflake by Saperaud

sun by Sam Bald , used under CC BY

jacket by Universal Textiles , used under CC BY

long sleeve shirt by Harley-Davidson , used under CC BY

rain coat by H&M , used under CC BY

wool sweater by Joan Rocaguinard , used under CC BY-SA

wool coat by ABADAY , used under CC BY

man in desert by Ammar Hassan , used under CC BY

cotton by H2O-C

t-shirt by Wikimedia Shop , used under CC BY-SA

armor by dewey_decimals , used under CC BY-SA

frying pan by FiveRings

sun in sky by Karen Roe , used under CC BY

kid looking at ocean by Donnie Ray Jones , used under CC BY

baseball cap by TexasRebel

kid by Tri Nguyen , used under CC BY

skateboarding by Makia Minich , used under CC BY-SA

helmet by Quant , used under CC BY-SA

cowboy by Moyan Brenn on Flickr , used under CC BY

cowboy hat by Hans Braxmeier

pioneer girl by Don Graham , used under CC BY-SA

young boy by Tribes of the World , used under CC BY-SA

bonnet by Heritage Costume , used under CC BY

headdress by Party Superstore , used under CC BY

Activity

desert hat by Craghoppers , used under CC BY

umbrella hat by Sourcing Map , used under CC BY

aluminium foil by Lewis Ronald , used under CC BY-SA

paper bag by Denna Jones , used under CC BY

sand by Chris Oatley , used under CC BY

pencil by Charm

Credits

“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. ”

“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!”

“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.”

“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. ”

“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!”

“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!”

“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.”

“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.”

“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!”

“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!”

“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.”

“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.”

“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!”

“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.”

“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!”

“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."”

“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!!”

“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!”

“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!”

“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!”

“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. ”

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

Why do we wear clothes?

material

metal

weather

waterproof

absorb

opaque

stiff

soft

property

design

engineer

Image & Video Credits

20 mins

35 mins

20 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Unit Reading

Video

Activity

Mini-lessons

Transcripts

Why do we wear clothes?

material

metal

weather

waterproof

absorb

opaque

stiff

soft

property

design

engineer

Image & Video Credits

Featured Reviews

Activity Prep

Prepare Supplies

Engineering Teacher Tip

20 mins

35 mins

20 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Unit Reading

Heat Stoppers

Video

Activity

Mini-lessons

Transcripts

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