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1. Primary: 'What Are Textiles'

1. Primary: 'What Are Textiles'

By Textiles Skills Centre

5.0(8)
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Highlights

  • On-Demand workshop

  • 6 hours

  • All levels

Description

Primary 1: ‘What are textiles?’

(ONLINE ON-DEMAND COURSE)

What this Course is About:

This is Resource 1 in a series of textile resources created for primary teachers.

The aim of this introductory course is to give pupils their first experience of textiles through a mix of fun, hands-on activities and creative learning. Pupils will explore what textiles are, why we use them, and how they are made, while also making links to everyday life, careers, and creativity.

The resource includes:

  • Practical activities (weaving, knitting, fabric investigations)

  • Worksheets and games to support learning

  • Spotlights on artists, designers, and careers in textiles

  • Cultural, cross curricular and sustainability links

  • Equipment needed and health & safety

  • Reflect and recall sheets to consolidate knowledge

By the end of this course, pupils will have developed a basic understanding of textiles and the role they play in our lives, as well as enjoyed creative opportunities to experiment and design with fabrics.

Resource Aims

  • Introduce pupils to textiles: What is a textile? What is a fabric? Why do we need fabrics?

  • Explore different types of fabrics, focusing on woven vs. knitted structures and their key differences.

  • Investigate natural and synthetic yarns, including their origins and properties.

Practical Activities

1: Uniform Label Investigation

Examine the labels on school uniforms.

Identify the fabrics used: Are they natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic

2: Hands-on Fabric Making

Try simple weaving and knitting activities to understand how fabrics are constructed

3: Space Suit Design Challenge

Design your own space suit.

PRIMARY-WHAT ARE TEXTILES-MAIN IMAGE 2.jpg

Who is this course for?

This resource is designed for any primary school teacher who would like to introduce pupils to textiles. While it is not curriculum-specific, the activities can be used to support both the Art & Design and Design & Technology curriculum, with a clear focus on textiles.

Key Notes for Teachers

  • Practice first: It’s recommended that teachers try out the activities themselves before delivering them in class.

  • Flexible use: The resources are designed in a sequence, but you can dip into them in any order depending on your pupils’ needs.

  • Timing: There are no strict time limits—teachers can choose to deliver a single activity, or take a resource through its full progression with a class.

  • Stage, not age: The resources are built on the principle of meeting pupils where they are in their learning journey. Teachers may wish to check pupils’ prior knowledge before starting.

What to Expect: The Resources

  • What Are Textiles-what is a fabric, where are they used, natural & synthetic fabrics

  • Practical activity-Design your own space suit-what fabrics does a space suit need?

  • Practical activity-looking at labels

  • Weaving & Knitting practical activities-

  • Rainbow Diamonds

  • Weaving with a paper plate

  • Weaving with a cardboard frame

  • Paper weaving - plain weave

  • Paper weaving - with ripped scraps

  • Paper weaving - basket weave

  • Paper weaving - twill weave

  • Finger knitting

  • Weaving Artists

  • Artists & designers of woven & knitted textiles

  • Games for learning

  • Reflect & Recall

workshop Content

9 sections•23 lessons
INTRODUCTION7 lessons
  1. 1WELCOME
  2. 2BENEFITS OF TEXTILES FOR PUPILS
  3. 3YOUR RESOURCE PLAN
  4. 4HEALTH & SAFETY
  5. 5EQUIPMENT
  6. 6YOUR TRAINER
  7. 7TERMS & CONDITIONS
RESOURCE PLAN1 lessons
  1. 1RESOURCE PLAN
WHAT ARE TEXTILES?3 lessons
  1. 1EQUIPMENT
  2. 2WHAT ARE TEXTILES?
  3. 3DESIGN YOUR OWN SPACE SUIT
PRACTICAL ACTIVITY: LABELS2 lessons
  1. 1EQUIPMENT
  2. 2LOOKING AT LABELS
WEAVING & KNITTING PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES4 lessons
  1. 1EQUIPMENT
  2. 2WEAVING ACTIVITIES
  3. 3WEAVING WITH RIPPED SCRAP PAPERS
  4. 4FINGER KNITTING
WEAVING ARTISTS1 lessons
  1. 1WEAVING ARTISTS
ARTISTS & DESIGNERS OF WOVEN & KNITTED TEXTILES2 lessons
  1. 1MEET ROWAN - THE ANGORA BUNNY
  2. 2JON DUNN-BALLAM - KNITWEAR DESIGNER/ YARN DYER
GAMES FOR LEARNING2 lessons
  1. 1WORD SEARCH
  2. 2GRID GAME
REFLECT & RECALL1 lessons
  1. 1REFLECT & RECALL

About The Provider

Textiles Skills Centre

The TEXTILES SKILLS CENTRE brings together industry and education experts to support, develop and deliver resources, courses and events for textiles teachers, trainers and the...

Read more about Textiles Skills Centre

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