M&S Wartime Utility Clothing
Teachers' notes
The material in this resource can be used with different subjects, as prompts for classroom or home work activities.
Curriculum Links:
KS3 Hisory: WW2
KS3 Design & Technology: Design and make
Learning Objectives:
- To learn about the history of M&S
- To find out what life was like in the past
- To raise awareness about 'waste not want not'
- To learn how being creative with limited resources can often lead to invention
This resource could be used as:
- an introduction to learning about economic use of materials
- an additional aid to ethics / RE
- as inspiration or introduction to a real enterprise activity such as fund raising
- an introduction to consumerism
- a drama project
- a fashion design project
- an aid to history timelines, understanding the manufacturing industry and how government policy can affect what is made in a country
Discussion ideas
- What do you think it would be like for you today if clothes were rationed? What would you be most upset about not being able to wear?
- If you were a dress designer how would you adapt your designs to use less materials?
- What are the differences between man-made and natural fabrics? Think of three of your five senses - sight, sound and touch.
- Why do you think man-made fabrics were so popular after the Second World War?
Activity ideas:
- Research what man-made fabrics are made from, then make a list of man-made and natural fabrics. Looking at the labels on clothes will help you do this.
- Find an old shirt, jumper or pair of trousers and convert into a bag by deconstructing / reconstructing the existing item.
- Provide each student with the same materials and challenge them to create a useful item using only those materials.
See also M&S Fashion Brands and Synthetic Fabrics.
Learning article provided by:
The M&S Company Archive |
© M&S Company Archive. The Marks & Spencer Licence Agreement enables you to view and reproduce works for non-commercial purposes under the terms of this Licence, provided that you credit Marks & Spencer in any reproduction - please contact company.archive@marks-and-spencer.com for further details