How Does Climate Affect What We Wear?
Cindy Fry, Sandy Kelnhofer, Barbara Quintasket
Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak, Washington

Summary
Students investigate properties of different types of clothing.

Grade level
Third

Time required
60 minutes

Materials
Eyedroppers
Water
Small scraps of various clothing fabrics (wool, cotton, polar fleece, buckskin, polyester, animal fur, nylon, Gortex)
Internet access
Okanogan Salish words for clothing
Historic photos of Okanogans dressed in traditional clothing – see Resources

Goals
By completing this lesson, students will

1. discover that climate affects people’s clothing choices,
2. gain understanding of the concepts of absorption, insulation, and adaptation,
3. learn about traditional Okanogan clothing,
4. learn about how astronauts dress to survive in the climate of space and
5. develop skills in inquiry learning.

Science standards addressed
National Science Standards

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Science as a human endeavor
• Changes in Earth and sky
• Understanding about science and technology

American Indian Science Standards

• The innate properties of objects and materials that were (and are) recognized by traditional Native American cultures in the manufacture and use of specific tools and material objects that capitalize upon those properties
• Changes in Earth’s surface, weather fluctuations and movements of celestial objects and how they affected historical American Indian community locations, annual migrations, and agricultural and ceremonial cycles

Teacher tips
Make sure the clothing scraps include traditional materials such as buckskin and animal furs as well as modern synthetic and natural materials such as polyester, wool and cotton. Make sure some are absorptive and others are waterproof.

To view excellent historic photos of traditional native clothing worn by the people of southern interior British Columbia, including the Okanogan people, visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization web site at the address listed in the Resources section.
The Native Tech web site provides line drawings of traditional clothing from all over North America. Pictures can be downloaded and colored.

Visit the NASA web sites found in the Resources section for more information on how astronauts dress in space. Educational materials on this topic, such as posters and lessons can be obtained from regional NASA Educational Resource Centers.

Background information
Before the influence of European settlers, Okanogan people’s clothing was usually made of tanned deer hides, commonly known as buckskin. A woman’s dress, for example, was made from the skins of two does, trimmed at the neck, with the forelegs sewn together as sleeves. The sides were laced or sewn together, and an uneven hem was cut with a stone knife. Before the availability of glass beads, the dresses were trimmed with porcupine quills colored with dyes derived from herbs or earthen materials. The quills were flattened by pressing them between smooth stones, and then sewn on with thread made from sinew taken from the backbone of a deer. The sinew was dried, shredded and twisted to a sharp point that was pushed through holes in the buckskin made by a sharpened awl made from a deer shin bone. Men’s clothing, also made largely from buckskin, consisted of a loincloth, shirt, leggings, belt and moccasins.

Furs were also used in making clothing, for their insulating qualities. Coyote skins, tanned with the fur left on, were used for the jackets of older people. The skin was tied with the tail section around the back of the neck and shoulders, and the legs were doubled under the arms and across the front to keep the shoulders warm. The fur of small animals such as rabbits was used for baby clothes during the winter to keep them warm. Baby diapers were made of buckskin, and were washed every day. Cottonwood fiber or milkweed fluff was used to absorb the baby’s wastes. These materials were gathered during the fall and saved in abundance for the new arrival.

Buckskin was also used to make moccasins, which were not decorated for daily wear. Special beaded moccasins were made for wearing during ceremonies and celebrations.

When astronauts leave their space vehicles while in orbit, they must be clothed to withstand extreme climatic conditions. It can be very cold and very hot in space, and there is little air pressure. Therefore, an astronaut’s attire is highly technical and specially designed to allow them to survive in space. Visit the NASA web sites found in the Resources section for more information on this topic.

Procedure
Engagement

1. Facilitate a discussion about what would happen if we wore a bathing suit in the snow, heavy parka in the hot summer, etc. Talk about the type of clothing people wear during wet weather. Introduce the words waterproof and absorb.
2. Show students drawings of native clothing from the NativeTech web site. Ask them to predict the climate for the region where the outfits originate.

Exploration

1. Ask student groups to design an experiment to test the waterproof and absorptive characteristics of various clothing materials. Assist them in writing their experimental procedure and data tables in their journals. Make sure students include a prediction column in the table.
2. Make investigation materials available to students. Encourage them to test at least five different materials, including materials used in the past for clothing, and natural and synthetic fabrics. Remind them to make a prediction before testing and to record their results in their journals.

Explanation

1. Ask student groups to report their predictions and results with the class. Encourage them to use the words waterproof and absorb in their reports.
2. Discuss weather conditions in relation to people’s clothing choices. Use the word adapt in talking about how humans can live in various climates partly due to adapting our clothing.
3. Show students pictures of traditional Okanogan clothing. Ask students to predict what the clothing was made from. Ask them to predict the types of materials that were used for absorption and waterproofness.

Elaboration

1. Show students pictures of astronauts wearing spacesuits. Ask students to predict what the climate of space is like. Ask them to predict what a space suit must be made of. Make resources on space and astronauts available for students to use in researching these questions.
2. Have students report their findings about the climate of space and the design of spacesuits. Introduce the word insulation in context during the discussion.
3. Discuss how Okanogan people insulated themselves from the heat and cold in times past. Compare to insulating clothing worn in modern times on Earth and in space.

Evaluation

1. Observe and talk with students as they prepare and conduct their experiments to assess their understanding of content and use of process skills.
2. Review student journals for evidence of understanding of content and correct use of process skills.
3. Assess students’ research and reporting on space and space attire.

Follow up activities

1. Establish electronic pen pals with native students from other parts of the world and ask them to describe their traditional clothing.
2. Extend the investigation to explore the insulative properties of various types of materials.
3. Allow students to access the Native Tech web site to view the clothing of other native people of North America. Pictures may be printed out for coloring

Vocabulary

Resources
Article
A cycle geared to survival - Prepared as part of a historical study for the Okanogan Irrigation District. Provides information about traditional clothing.

Web sites
Canadian Museum of Civilization – Excellent historic photos of traditional clothing of the peoples of the southern interior of British Columbia, including the Okanogan people www.civilization.ca/aborig/threads/thred06e.html

Native Tech – Maps and drawings of clothing for native people throughout North America
www.nativetech.org/clothing/regions/regions.html

NASA Kids – Spacesuit information
http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/Rockets/Spacesuits.asp

Space Suits at NASA’s Starchild – Diagram of a space suit
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/space_level2/wardrobe.htm

Future Space Suits at NASA Quest
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/teachers/suited/8future.html

How Spacesuits Work at HowStuffWorks –
http://www.howstuffworks.com/space-suit.htm