Accessible textile products
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can define the needs of the user within a design specification.
Key learning points
- Accessible textiles use empathic design to meet the needs of all users.
- Design specifications ensure products are inclusive and address user needs.
Keywords
Accessible - easy to use
Empathy - understanding others' feelings and experiences when designing
Utility - useful and functional
Specifications - a list of things a product must have or do
User - who you are designing the product for
Common misconception
Textile products are only designed for fashion.
Textile products can also serve functional and practical purposes, such as accessibility and user needs.
Teacher tip
Encourage students to think beyond fashion by exploring real-world examples of accessible textiles, such as adaptive clothing or sensory-friendly fabrics, to help them understand the importance of empathic design.
Equipment
Worksheet, pens/pencils, examples of accessible textile products (see additional materials document) as well as examples of products that could be made more accessible to aid discussion.
Content guidance
Exploration of objects
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How are textiles made?
Q2.Which of these is a product?
Q3.A product is designed to meet the needs of the .
Q4.Which of these is NOT part of the design process?
Q5.What are design specifications?
Q6.What does the word 'access' mean?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.The meaning of the word 'empathy' is said to be like putting yourself in someone else's ...
Q2.What does the word 'accessible' mean?
Q3.Which of these is a synonym of the word 'utility'?
Q4.Match these parts of a design specification.
what a product is designed to do
who will use the product
how the product will work
what a product will look like
To help you plan your 5 design and technology lesson on: Accessible textile products, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 design and technology lesson on: Accessible textile products, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 design and technology lessons from the Combining fabrics: accessible textiles unit, dive into the full primary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.