Lower Key Stage 2 British Clothing 1066 to Present Day
Natural Dyes

Learn how natural dyes can be created from plant materials. Make your own natural dyes and use them to dye cotton. Create a period outfit for a peg doll. Make a zigzag booklet of information on medieval clothing and hats for men and women, rich and poor. Play quiz games to consolidate your knowledge.

Session 1 Colours from nature

Objectives

History

  • Study an aspect or theme in British history (clothing) that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

Design and Technology

  • Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, pupils develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.

Lesson Planning

Children will explore how Medieval people used natural dyes to colour their clothing and how the different types of dyes reflected whether they were rich or poor.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Learn about the clothing worn by rich and poor people in medieval times and how it was coloured using natural dyes from plant materials.
  • Learn and investigate how dyes can be created from everyday plant materials.

Children will:

  • Learn how dyes can be made from plant materials and how these are fixed using a mordant.
  • Chop dye stuffs to make natural dyes as in medieval times.
  • Learn about medieval clothing for rich and poor.
  • Create a medieval outfit for a cardboard figure and display it with a description of the clothing used.

You Will Need

  • 1 metre of white 100% cotton sheeting cut into quarters
  • Ingredients for 4 plant dyes
  • 8 chopping boards
  • 8 knives suitable for children to chop vegetables
  • 4 large saucepans
  • 4 wooden spoons
  • Access to a hob to boil dyes

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 2 Medieval clothing in naturally dyed fabrics

Objectives

History

  • Study an aspect or theme in British history (clothing) that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

Design and Technology

  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products.

Lesson Planning

Children will further explore Medieval clothing and create their own costumes for peg people.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Learn about the type of clothing worn by rich and poor men and women in medieval times including fabrics and styles.
  • Create a medieval style outfit for peg doll using the hand dyed cotton fabric produced in session 1, developing skills of marking, cutting out, sticking and tying as well as applying historical knowledge of the Middle Ages.

Children will:

  • Learn about clothing in medieval times for rich and poor, men and women.
  • Make a medieval style outfit for a peg doll using the hand dyed cotton fabric created last session.
  • Begin to create a zigzag booklet of information on medieval clothing using acquired knowledge and research.

You Will Need

  • Sheeting from session 1 that has been dried, ironed and cut
  • Labelled clear plastic document pockets – one for each type of clothing
  • Wooden dolly pegs (1 per child),
  • Pipe cleaners (2 per child)
  • Children’s fabric scissors
  • Plastic pegs (to hold outfits together while the glue dries) and paper clips (to use as a pushing tool)
  • Lengths of wool or string for ties and belts
  • Access to internet/books/printouts on Medieval clothing

Session 3 Medieval hats

Objectives

History

  • Study an aspect or theme in British history (clothing) that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
  • Children should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Design and Technology

  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products.

Lesson Planning

Children will consolidate their knowledge of Medieval clothing. They will explore more about Medieval hats with a quiz and then create their own hats for their peg people.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Learn about the type of hats and headdresses worn by rich and poor people and men and women in medieval times.
  • Create a medieval hat for a peg doll and apply historical knowledge of the Middle Ages.

Children will:

  • Learn about the different types of hats worn in medieval times and consolidate knowledge with a quiz.
  • Make a medieval style hat for their peg person using their own hand dyed fabric, felt and card.
  • Finish their zigzag information book by adding 4 new pages on medieval hats.
  • Learn more about natural dyes and new developments in synthetic dyes by playing a quiz game.

You Will Need

  • Off-cuts of the remainder of the hand dyed fabric created in session 1
  • Small pieces of card (for steeple hats)
  • Fabric scissors
  • Tissue paper
  • Wool in hair colours, e.g. shades of brown, yellow, orange, grey and black
  • Some fine tipped permanent black marker pens
  • Small off-cuts of felt in natural (straw hat) shades, e.g. cream, light brown, yellow