Lesson: Learning About Textiles Preparing Wetsuits

Step 1: Create a Control Wetsuit

Materials Needed: 2 zipper plastic baggies

Creating the Control Wetsuit: Turn one baggie inside out and then place it inside the other baggie. Squeeze out as much air as possible and zipper the inside baggie to the outside baggie. Check to make sure you can put your hand inside your control wetsuit.

Be sure the zippers are zipped together! Lesson: Learning About Textiles

Step 2: Create a Feather Wetsuit

Materials Needed: 2 zipper baggies 2 cups of feathers

Creating the Feather Wetsuit: Place the 2 cups of feathers inside one of the baggies. Turn the other baggie inside out and then place it inside the baggie with the feathers. Make sure to keep the feathers between the two baggies. Squeeze out as much air as possible and zipper the inside baggie to the outside baggie. Gently use your fingers to spread the feathers evenly around both sides of the baggie. Check to make sure you can put your hand inside your feather wetsuit. Lesson: Learning About Textiles

Step 3: Create a Blubber Wetsuit Materials Needed: 2 zipper baggies 4 heaping tablespoons of solid shortening

Creating the Blubber Wetsuit: Place the 4 heaping tablespoons of solid shortening inside one of the baggies. Turn the other baggie inside out and then place it inside the baggie with the shortening. (Make sure to keep the shortening between the two baggies.) Squeeze out as much air as possible and zipper the inside baggie to the outside baggie. Gently use your fingers to spread the shortening evenly around both sides of the baggie. Check to make sure you can put your hand inside your blubber wetsuit. Lesson: Learning About Textiles Testing Wetsuits: Trial 1

Materials Needed: Control Wetsuit Feather Wetsuit Blubber Wetsuit

Testing the wetsuits Put one hand inside the control wetsuit. With the wet suit on your hand, place your hand in the bin of icy water. Important note: Don't let any water get inside of your wetsuit! Start the timer to see how long you can keep your hands in the icy water before it gets too cold. “Too cold” means that your hand is uncomfortable and needs to be removed from the icy water. When you remove your hand, stop the timer. Record the time in Table 1. Repeat these same steps with the feather wetsuit and then with the blubber wetsuit. Lesson: Learning About Textiles Testing Wetsuits: Table 1

Record your data from trial 1 here:

Control Feather Blubber

Time before hand became too cold

Other Observations Lesson: Learning About Textiles Testing Wetsuits: Trial 2

Materials Needed: Control Wetsuit Feather Wetsuit Blubber Wetsuit

Testing the wetsuits Put the thermometer inside the control wetsuit. Look at the temperature on the thermometer and record it in your data table under 0 min. Use a rubber band to close the top of the wetsuit around the thermometer With the thermometer in the wet suit, place the wetsuit in the icy water. Don't let any water get inside of the wet suit! Start the timer. Every two minutes, look at the temperature on the thermometer and record it in your data table. After 10 minutes, take the wetsuit out of the icy water. Remove the thermometer from the wetsuit and dry off the wet suit. Repeat these same steps with the feather wetsuit and then with the blubber wetsuit.

Use a rubber band to hold air out and the thermometer in place. Lesson: Learning About Textiles Testing Wetsuits: Table 2

Record your data from trial two here:

Control Feather Blubber Time (minutes)

0

2

4

6

8

10