# Handout 5.3: Fiber Test Station Record Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________ Period: ______ Station: ______ **Directions:** Fill in Part 1 during the slides. Take this sheet to the station for Part 2. Fill in Part 3 during the teacher demonstration. Finish Part 4 after the envelope is opened. **Station rules:** one drop of water, not a puddle. Swatches stay at the station. Wet swatches go on the paper towel with the letter showing. Nothing goes in a mouth. ## Word bank in other languages [Check with a native speaker before printing.] | English | Turkish | Portuguese | Spanish | |---|---|---|---| | fiber | lif | fibra | fibra | | natural | doğal | natural | natural | | manufactured | yapay (sentetik) | manufaturada (sintética) | manufacturada (sintética) | | cotton | pamuk | algodão | algodón | | wool | yün | lã | lana | | silk | ipek | seda | seda | | linen | keten | linho | lino | | polyester | polyester | poliéster | poliéster | | nylon | naylon | náilon | nailon | | rayon | rayon (viskon) | raiom (viscose) | rayón (viscosa) | | spandex | likra (elastan) | elastano (lycra) | elastano (licra) | | absorb | emmek | absorver | absorber | | stretch | uzamak (esnemek) | esticar | estirar | | wrinkle | kırışmak | amassar (vincar) | arrugarse | | warm | sıcak tutan | quente | cálido | | melt | erimek | derreter | derretirse | ## Part 1: Two families of fiber **1a. Sort the eight fibers.** cotton, wool, silk, linen, polyester, nylon, rayon, spandex | Natural (from a plant or an animal) | Manufactured (made in a factory) | |---|---| | | | | | | | | | | | | **1b. Name the source of each natural fiber.** | Fiber | Comes from | |---|---| | Cotton | | | Wool | | | Silk | | | Linen | | **1c. The class table.** Fill in as the slides go. Use words like high, low, some, none, cheap, costly. | Fiber | Warmth | Absorbs or wicks water | Wrinkles | Stretch | Cost and care | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Cotton | | | | | | | Wool | | | | | | | Silk | | | | | | | Linen | | | | | | | Polyester | | | | | | | Nylon | | | | | | | Rayon | | | | | | | Spandex | | | | | | ## Part 2: The station record Three tests on six swatches. Circle or write in every box. Ninety seconds per swatch. **Test 1, feel:** rub it between finger and thumb. Circle one in each pair. **Test 2, stretch:** pull gently across, then let go. Did it come back? **Test 3, water drop:** one drop, count to ten. Soaked in, beaded up, or spread out? | Swatch | Feel: smooth or rough | Feel: warm or cool | Feel: thick or thin | Stretch: came back / stayed stretched / no stretch | Water: soaked in / beaded / spread | My guess at the fiber | Good for making | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | A | smooth / rough | warm / cool | thick / thin | | | | | | B | smooth / rough | warm / cool | thick / thin | | | | | | C | smooth / rough | warm / cool | thick / thin | | | | | | D | smooth / rough | warm / cool | thick / thin | | | | | | E | smooth / rough | warm / cool | thick / thin | | | | | | F | smooth / rough | warm / cool | thick / thin | | | | | ## Part 3: The burn test (teacher demonstration only) You are seated behind the line. Nobody stands up. Nobody films it. | Fiber | What the flame did (burned fast / burned slow / melted) | The smell, in one word | What was left (soft ash / crushable bead / hard bead) | |---|---|---|---| | Cotton | | | | | Wool | | | | | Polyester | | | | Finish the sentence: A fiber that melts is dangerous near heat because _______________________________________________________________________ **If there is no flame today,** do the wrinkle test instead. Crush each swatch in your fist for ten seconds, then open your hand. Rate the wrinkle 1 (none), 2 (some), 3 (a lot). | Swatch | A | B | C | D | E | F | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Wrinkle 1 to 3 | | | | | | | ## Part 4: The reveal and the four use questions **4a.** Write the real fiber next to each letter, then check your guess. | Swatch | Real fiber | Was my guess right? | |---|---|---| | A | | yes / no | | B | | yes / no | | C | | yes / no | | D | | yes / no | | E | | yes / no | | F | | yes / no | **4b.** For each use, name the swatch letter you would pick and give two pieces of evidence from your own test data. | The use | My swatch | Evidence 1 (from my tests) | Evidence 2 (from my tests) | |---|---|---|---| | A winter hat | | | | | A soccer jersey | | | | | A dress shirt for a job interview | | | | | A swimsuit | | | | ## Exit card (tear off or write on an index card) 3 things you learned about a fabric with your hands today: 1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________ 2 fibers you can now tell apart, and how: _______________________________________________________________________ 1 question about fibers or care: _______________________________________________________________________ * * * # Teacher key **Part 1a.** Natural: cotton, wool, silk, linen. Manufactured: polyester, nylon, rayon, spandex. Rayon is the one students miss; it starts as wood pulp, which is a plant, but it is processed into fiber in a factory, so it is counted as manufactured. **Part 1b.** Cotton: a plant, the fluff around the seed of the cotton plant. Wool: an animal, the fleece of a sheep (other animal fibers include alpaca, mohair from goats, and cashmere). Silk: an insect, the thread a silkworm spins for its cocoon. Linen: a plant, the stem of the flax plant. **Part 1c, expected answers.** | Fiber | Warmth | Water | Wrinkles | Stretch | Cost and care | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Cotton | Some | Absorbs a lot, dries slowly | Wrinkles | None on its own | Cheap; can shrink; machine wash | | Wool | High, even when damp | Absorbs, dries slowly | Springs back, resists wrinkles | Some, springy | Costly; hand wash or dry clean; hot water felts it | | Silk | Some | Absorbs; water can leave a mark | Wrinkles some | Little | Costly; hand wash or dry clean | | Linen | Low, coolest in heat | Absorbs a lot, dries fast | Wrinkles the most | None | Costly; gets softer with age | | Polyester | Some, traps heat | Beads or wicks, does not absorb, dries fast | Resists wrinkles | Little on its own | Cheap; machine wash; melts with heat; holds odor | | Nylon | Some | Beads, dries fast | Resists wrinkles | Some | Cheap; strong; melts with heat | | Rayon | Low | Absorbs, weak when wet | Wrinkles | Little | Mid cost; often hand wash | | Spandex | Low | Beads | Resists wrinkles | High, springs back | Always blended; dryer heat destroys it | **Part 2, the station set.** Label the swatches A to F in this order or your own; keep the answer envelope matched to the labels. | Swatch | Fiber | What students should find | |---|---|---| | A | Cotton | Smooth to soft, cool, thin; no stretch; water soaks straight in | | B | Wool | Rough or fuzzy, warm, thick; springs back a little; water beads at first then soaks slowly | | C | Silk or linen | Silk: very smooth, cool, thin. Linen: slightly rough, cool, thicker slubs; both absorb | | D | Polyester (fleece or shirting) | Smooth or fuzzy, warm, varies; little stretch; water beads and sits on top | | E | Nylon (windbreaker or tights) | Slick, cool, thin; some stretch; water beads and runs off | | F | Spandex blend (leggings) | Smooth, warm, thick; stretches a lot and comes back; water beads | Score the station record complete, partial, or missing: complete means three tests filled for at least four swatches, with a real use named (not a color) for each. **Part 3, the burn test results.** These are the standard identification results. | Fiber | Flame | Smell | Residue | |---|---|---|---| | Cotton | Burns fast, keeps burning | Burning paper or leaves | Soft gray ash that crumbles | | Wool | Burns slowly, curls away, often self-extinguishes | Burning hair | Black bead that crushes to powder | | Polyester | Does not burn, melts and shrinks away, drips | Sweet and chemical | Hard bead that will not crush | The melt sentence: because melted fiber sticks to skin and keeps burning it, so the burn is worse and it cannot be brushed off. **Part 4b, defensible answers.** The fabric named matters less than the evidence. | Use | Best choice and why | |---|---| | Winter hat | Wool (B). Warm even when damp, springs back, holds its shape. A fleece polyester (D) is also defensible: warm, cheap, dries fast | | Soccer jersey | Polyester (D) or nylon (E). Water beads and moves away instead of soaking in, dries fast, light. Cotton is the wrong answer and the tests show why: it soaked the drop right in and stays wet | | Dress shirt for a job interview | Cotton (A) for breathability and the look, or a cotton and polyester blend for wrinkle resistance. The reason has to come from the tests | | Swimsuit | Spandex blend (F). Stretches and comes back, water beads, dries fast, and it has to move with a body | **Standards checked by this handout:** NYS ATPD 1. Selection a) and 3. Maintenance a); CTE HSW 4. Classroom and Workplace Safety a); CTE SUS 2. Environmental Management e); NYS FACS Standard 2 (Intermediate) PI C; CDOS 3a Basic Skills; National FCS 3.0 16.2.1, 16.2.2, and 16.2.4.