Logo used with permission from IYNF Coordination Unit

Discover Natural Fibres

2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibres This project aims to raise awareness about natural fibres by helping students to discover the answers to the following questions.

• What are natural fibres?
• How are they produced and what are they used for?
• Why is the production of natural fibres important to developing countries?
• What are the advantages of natural fibres over synthetic

Getting started:

Information for teachers here.
Activities best suited to use on an Interactive Whiteboard will be
marked with the symbol iwb

Students

Go to http://mashable.com/2007/09/12/avatars/ to find a free tool to help you create and save an avatar (image to represent you online)
Create your OzProjects profile with a description and avatar. To do this click on your login name at the top right of the main page and choose "edit your profile" Introduce yourself or your team in the Introductions Forum.

Please introduce yourself

Introduce yourself in this forum by describing your avatar and/or your team. Where if your school? What are you looking forward to doing in this project?

What are natural fibres?

Upper Primary

Read about natural fibres following the links below. Then try the true and false quiz o test your knowledge.

Links
International year of Natural Fibres
Natural Fibres

Find out more about natural fibres

Middle Primary and Upper Primary

Use the Global Education website Natural Fibres Glossary to learn some natural fibres vocabulary then try the jumbled word quiz.

Production of natural fibres

Upper Primary and Lower Secondary

Most countries produce some natural fibres. In some developing countries, natural fibres are very important as a source of income. Poor farmers use the money they make from producing and selling natural fibres to buy food. Look closely at the photos in this forum and then make a comment about what you see.

What are natural fibres used for?

Upper Primary and Lower Secondary

Use some of the resources below to find out what natural fibres are used for. Add some information to the shared glossary.

iwb How are textiles made?	Uses of bamboo
The uses of silk	Wool uses
Textiles: Wool	Textiles: Silk
Textiles: Cotton	Natural fibres in the automotive industry

Natural fibres and synthetics

Middle Primary to Upper Primary

Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibres has increased, and natural fibres have been less popular. Synthetic fibres are made by chemical processes. Some common synthetic fibres are rayon, acetate, nylon, acrylic, polyester, polypropylene and viscose.

Read about natural fibres and synthetics and then play the
Scatter Game iwb
Synthetic fibres
Natural fibres

How everyday things are made - wool and cotton

Middle Primary to Upper Primary

Click here to watch a short movie about how wool is processed to make a woollen cloth called Worsted and denim is made from cotton. iwb

Try a vocabulary quiz to check your knowledge of the words in the movie. iwb

Natural Fibres Jigsaw

Try an online jigsaw. iwb

What did you think of this project?

Please complete the online feedback form below to let us know your opinion of this project. What did you like? What else would you like to see included?