Content: Textiles

Specific Lesson outcomes Students will be able to identify any given fabric sample using either the burn test or
the feeling test using the characteristics that are associated with each fabric
Curricular ties Idaho state standards:
Competency: Demonstrate Knowledge and Skill
related to Textiles
Performance Indicators:
1. Differentiate between natural and synthetic fibers
2. Discover basic characteristics of common fibers
3. Differentiate between fibers and fabrics
Bell Ringer Before class starts write on the board the Review condition, location, characteristic-
following question: What is the mover from intermediate to long-term
difference between knit, woven, and fused memory
fabrics?

Allow for 5 minutes for the students to

write this question down and to answer in
their notebooks. This question is a review
question. The answer will be revealed the
next day.
Activity 1: Burn test Students will using their right side of the
Pass out the burn test work sheet. brain which deals with the creative side
They are to light one of the tea candles
and use the tweezers to pick up each
sample to hold over the flame. They are to
observe what happens and identify what
fabric is using the given descriptions
They are to be working in partnerships
Cotton: Is a cellulose fiber. It burns and may flare
up when lit. No melted bead is left by it. After
burning, it continues to glow. It gives out a smell
like that of a burning paper. The smoke is gray or
white. The ash is fine and soft and can be easily
crumbled.
Rayon: Is a manufactured cellulose fiber. It burns
without flame or melting and may flare up.
Unless there is a fabric finish, it doesn't leave any
bead. After the flame is removed, it may glow a bit
longer than cotton. It smells like burning paper and
leaves soft, gray ash. It's smoke is a little
hazardous
Silk: Is a protein fiber which burns slowly and
curls away from the flame. It leaves a dark bead
which can be easily crushed. It is self-
extinguishing and leaves ash that is a dark, gritty,
fine powder. It smells like burned hair or charred
meat. It gives out little or no smoke and the fume
has no hazard.
Wool: Is a protein fiber which burns slowly. It
sizzles and curls away from flame and may curl
back onto fingernail. It leaves beads that are
brittle, dark, and easily crushed. It is self-
extinguishing and leaves harsh ash from crushed
bead. It gives out a strong odor of burning hair or
feathers. It gives out dark smoke and moderate
fume.
Acetate, Triacetate: Is a protein fiber which burns
quickly and can flare even after flame is removed.
The bead is hard, brittle, and can't be crushed. It
melts into a very hot bead and drips very
dangerously. No ash is left by it and the smell is
like hot vinegar or burning pepper. It gives out
black smoke and the fume is hazardous
Nylon, Polymide: Are made from petroleum. Due
to their fabric finish, they quickly burn and shrink
to flame. The beads are hard, grayish and
uncrushable. After flame, they burn slowly and
melt. They are self-extinguishing but drip
dangerously. Their odor is like celery and they
leave no ash but the fume is very hazardous
Polyester: Is a polymer produced from coal, air,
water, and petroleum products. It burns quickly
and shrinks away from flame, may also flare up. It
leaves hard, dark, and round beads. After the
 flame, it burns slowly and is not always self-
extinguishing. It has a slightly sweet chemical
odor. It leaves no ash but its black smoke and
fume are hazardous
Acrylic, Modacrylic, Polyacrylic: Made from
natural gas and petroleum, they flare up at match-
touch, shrink from flame, burn rapidly with hot
sputtering flame and drip dangerously. Beads are
hard, dark, and with irregular shapes. They
continue melting after flame is removed and are
self-extinguishing. When burning, they give out a
strong acrid, fishy odor. Although no ash is left,
their black smoke and fume are hazardous.

Activity 2: Feeling test. Avoid contradiction which shuts down

Set each of the numbered samples around neural activity (error neurons)
the room. Pass out the feeling work sheet Accessing individualized organizational
and have the students. For this activity patterns in the brain
they are to work on their own. They are to
identify the sample using the
characteristics of the feeling test.

Cotton material: Unresponsive, soft, and inelastic.

Cotton because of its inelasticity crushes easily. It
may be made to look and feel somewhat like wool,
but it always retains its inelastic characteristic.
Wool material: Springy, harsh, and elastic. The
elasticity of wool is one of its most desirable
qualities. If a woolen garment becomes wrinkled,
many of the creases fall out if the garment is
merely hung away. This responsiveness is caused
by its elasticity. If woolen material is combined
with much cotton or shoddy in either spinning or
weaving, it loses much of its elasticity.
Silk material: Smooth, cool, and very elastic. If
silk is of good quality, it is the most elastic
material. For this reason, silk garments hung away
will look very smooth and fresh in a short time.
 Silk loses this quality when adulterated with
mercerized cotton or heavily weighted.
Linen material: Firm, stiff, smooth, cold, very
inelastic, and leathery if woven with a firm weave.
The very inelastic quality of linen causes it to
crush readily and thus to require continual
pressing. If adulterated with cotton, it loses
somewhat its firmness and smoothness.
Artificial silk material: Very smooth, wiry, and
cold. Artificial silk material is very unyielding. If
combined with another fiber, it is much more
satisfactory.
Ramie: Firm and stiff. It resembles both linen and
cotton. It does not crush quite so easily as linen.

Exit ticket activity Instruct the students to write a one

paragraph summary of what they had
learned from the burn test and the feeling
test.