- Year range:
- Y1-Y8
- Strands:
- Material World; Technology
- Category:
- Clothing
- Competencies:
- Managing Self; Participating & Contributing; Thinking
A group of friends decided to go for a walk in the country on a mild day in autumn without paying much attention to the weather and without taking extra clothing. However, after an hour they realised that the weather was about to change very quickly — and it looked like they were going to get very wet and cold. It was late in the afternoon and there was no shelter nearby. They realised that to avoid hypothermia they would have to find some way of keeping dry and warm, and especially finding protection from the wind.
All they could find was a bag of plastic shopping bags. They realised they could make raincoats and walk back home, dry and protected from the cold wind which will be behind them.
Your task
To make a coat to provide protection from rain and wind.
You will have
- Six plastic shopping bags in total (one may be used to package these materials)
- 2m of sticky tape
- a pair of snips or scissors will be provided
Conditions
One member of the team must wear the ensemble. The coat must be waterproof and as windproof as possible and provide as much protection as possible. You are probably aware that we lose much heat from our heads, but if you do make a hat be aware of the danger of putting any plastic over your face.
It will be judged on
The total protection you have (from water and from wind) and the ease of movement while wearing it.
1. Water Protection
Maximum of 10 points
To check how waterproof your coat is it will be placed on a frame and hosed gently from above with water — you may wear it if you wish! Jusges will check whether the tape holding it together was also protected from water.
2. Resistance to wind
Maximum of 10 points
The resistance to wind will be tested with a fan held horizontally or by standing outside with your back to the wind while the judge decides how much wind is penetrating the coat and how well all the ‘clothing’ holds together.
3. Ease of movement
Maximum of 10 points
You will also be asked to walk rapidly back and forth for at least 10m to enable the judging of the ease of movement and how well it holds together
Total: Out of 30 points
This challenge is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial New Zealand Licence.
