Hair's Your Gift
A sample of the mixture is dropped onto a metal surface.
A graph plotted to show the number of rubs vs volume of oil that has been added to the beeswax.
Overview
The idea for the unit came from students' questions during a previous unit on soap making. They wanted to know why soap is not recommended for use on hair, shampoos are so expensive compared to soap and why conditioners are necessary. I received a hair wrap as a present and thought it would be a good idea for students to make one using a common pattern but then individualise it with a unique button that could reflect the theme/logo of the range of their hair care products.
This is a 6 x1.5 hour unit for Year 7 and 8 and involves Biotechnology and Soft Materials.
In short, the students make and test a range of hair care products, make a hair wrap with a unique button and design.
| Technological Areas: Soft Materials, Biotechnology Context: Level: 3, 4, 5 |
Essential Skills | Cross Curricular Links | ||
| Communication | x | Mathematics | x | |
| Numeracy | x | Languages | ||
| Information | The Arts | x | ||
| Problem-solving | x | Science | x | |
| Self-Management & Competitive | x | Social Science | ||
| Social & co-operative | x | Health | x | |
| Physical | x | |||
| Work & Study |
Unit Focus or Purpose of Unit
Students chose the wax/oil mixture that will best suit their needs and make a sample of hair wax according to this ratio.
Designing the hair wrap out of the Du-kit clay for the hair wrap.
The final product. The hair wrap is cut out and made up from a given pattern.Human need / problem / opportunity established in an authentic context.
An occasion or celebration is often accompanied by the giving and receiving of gifts.
You will make a gift pack to give to a specific person for an occasion of your choice.
You are going to experiment in the Biotechnology Laboratory to develop hair wax or calmer, hair gel, shampoo and conditioner to suit the recipient of your gift. These will be rolled up in a hair wrap that is fastened with a button that has been specially designed and made by you.
In the Foods Room you will design and make a bag for safe storage of your hair care products and decorations.
Stimulus / Creating Interest-
Establishing ownership
A display of a variety of hair wraps/buttons/femo clay colours/towellings/hair care products/shampoo and conditioner forms/posters of industry links/electron micrographs of hair /models of hair growth and shampoo and conditioner method of action/essential oil fragrances.
Resources (Information /
Community / Books)
Biotechnology room and equipment,
Soft materials room and equipment.
Jenny Somerville – Jeymar soaps – Wairau valley
Rebecca Midkiff – Aromatics and more
www.aromaticsandmore.com
Bush Honey and Beeswax – old Renwick Road
