Teacher’s Guide 2014
Teacher’s Guide
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NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Teacher’s Guide 2014
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
VANISHED INTO STITCHES
Artist Ruth Marshalls interest in animals, art and science has produced a stunning collection of
works representing endangered species through the medium of knitting. Each of her hand knitted
one-of-a-kind textiles is interpreted from individual animals researched from museums and zoos
around the world. By focussing our attention on the issue of species decline Ms Marshall also
reminds us of the intrinsic natural beauty that inspired us to covet these creatures in the first place.
Included in the exhibition is a series of Australian animals studied from specimens at the
Melbourne Museum.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Ruth Marshall
Australian born Ruth Marshall has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology, Australia, and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from Pratt institute, USA. For
fourteen years she worked as an exhibit sculptor at the Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo.
Her art has recently been exhibited at the Australian Consulate in New York City, Brooklyn
Botanical Garden, Museum of Art & Design - New York City. Publications include "Textiles: The
Art of Mankind", by Mary Schoeser / Thames & Hudson, Vogue Knitting, Textiles: The Australian
magazine for Textile Arts / September 2013 issue 111, as well as her own book "Vanished into
Stitches". Also the Bronx Council of the Arts BRIO award 2013. Recent projects of interest are the
activist knitting kit, "KNOT Impossumble", a fund raising endeavor for Victoria's Leadbeater's
Possum. She currently resides in New York City, USA. www.ruthmarshall.com
EDUCATION CONCEPTS
Exploring a museum is a great way to model life-long learning, the process of questioning and
seeking answers as you engage with a particular environment. Independent of gathering specific
curriculum content, the museum provides a training ground for learning skills development. The
information and tools within this kit have been divided into four broad skill categories, each
identified with one of the icons listed below:
Knowledge and Understanding
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What do I already know?
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Fact gathering
Communication
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Sharing questions and
answers
NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Thinking
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Asking questions
Application
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Making connections and
creating next steps
Teacher’s Guide 2014
KEY VOCABULARY
Term
Definition
(endangered species: http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/class_glossary.htm)
Chart
Symbolic representation of a knitting pattern, visual rather than written
instructions to create a pattern
Conservation
The act of conserving, preventing the loss, of something – for example, a
species of animal
Craftivism
“Craftivism is a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through
creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper & your quest
for justice more infinite.” (Betsy Greer, http://craftivism.com/about/craftivismdefinition/) Using hand-made art to express an opinion or to give voice to
an issue.
Endangered
A species seriously at risk of extinction.
Exploitation
The killing, capturing or collecting of wild organisms for human use
Extinct
The state in which all members of a groups of organisms, such as a
species, population, family or class, have disappeared from a given habitat,
geographic area, or the entire world.
Habitat
The physical and biological environment in which an organism lives,
including the arrangement of food, water, shelter, and sites for rearing
young
Intarsia
A knitting technique used to create a pattern from multiple colours
Knitting
Create a material by interlocking loops of yarn, usually using needles or a
knitting machine.
Marsupials
The group of mammals whose young are born very undeveloped and must
attach themselves after birth to the mother’s milk glands, where they are
usually protected by a pouch. Australia is known for its wide variety of
marsupials, such as kangaroos, wombats, and bandicoots. The opossum,
found in North and South America, is also a marsupial. Marsupials are
known in Europe, Asia, and Africa only through ancient fossils
Pelt
The skin of an animal with hair or fur still on it.
Poaching
Illegal hunting, capture, or collecting of wildlife. Poachers may target
organisms that are protected from all hunting, such as elephants, or they
may target animals outside of the regulated hunting season or inside the
boundaries of a protected area
Species
A group of similar individuals with shared genetic characteristics, capable of
interbreeding.
Threatened
A species vulnerable to becoming endangered in the near future.
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NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Teacher’s Guide 2014
PREPARING TO VISIT
Part of the thrill and engagement of a museum lies in it being a physically
distinct learning space compared to the ‘traditional’ classroom. However, to
make the most of this experience the visit must be embedded in classroom
learning. Expectations should be discussed before attending and
experiences debriefed after the visit. A museum visit should spark questions,
inspiration, perspective and creative response.
DISCUSS
Read the following quotation from the artist, Ruth Marshall:
"UNSETTLING IS ONE REACTION THAT SUITS THE WORLD MY WORK INTENDS TO
REFLECT. WE SHOULD ALL FEEL UNEASY ABOUT THE STATE OF WILD ANIMALS.
ARTISTS CREATE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS ALL THEIR OWN. I SEE A NEED TO BE
CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF HUMANITY AND THE ROLE I PLAY IN IT."
Or listen to Ruth talking about her work during her exhibtion at the Australian Consulate in the United
States: www.youtube.com/watch?V=4o-b3_rp6_g
What do you think of the idea of using art to raise awareness about current issues?
UNDERSTANDING ENDANGERED SPECIES
Physical Activity / Mathematics: Oh Deer!
(Project WILD Activity Guide. Canadian Wildlife Foundation (2002), pp. 206-210)
This classroom game is designed to help students to understand the components of suitable habitat,
population balance and the impact of limiting factors on population change. This game is best suited to
groups of 15 or more. You will need a large area for running, but no other materials.
1. Review the essential components of habitat: food, water, shelter, and space. Emphasise for
students that these components must be in a suitable arrangement or animals will die.
2. Mark 2 parallel lines on the ground, at least 10m apart.
3. Divide students into 4 groups of equal size. Direct group 1 to line up along the line at one end of
the space and groups 2, 3, 4 to line up along the line at the other end of the space.
4. Group 1 represent the animal population (deer, or another animal of your choosing).
5. Group 2-4 are the habitat representing food, water, and shelter. Assume that the play space
represents enough space for your population.
6. 3 hand signals will be used in this game: food – hands on stomach; water – hands cover mouth;
shelter – hands joined over head. Review these hand signals with the students.
7. When a student in the animal population is looking for something they use these hand signals.
For food they place their hands on the stomach, for water, they cover their mouth, if for shelter
they hold their hands over their head. An animal can choose to look for any one of these
components in each round of the game.
8. The “habitat” students choose to be one of these components at the beginning of each round –
food, water, or shelter. They will use the same hand signals to show what they are.
9. The game starts with all players lined up on their respective lines and with their backs facing the
students on the other line (they cannot see each other).
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Teacher’s Guide 2014
10. The teacher asks all the students to make their symbol. Give the students a few moments to
get their hand signals in place.
11. When the students are ready count to three and tell students to turn and face each other,
continuing to clearly signal what they are or what they are looking for. Students cannot change
hand signals.
12. When an animal sees the habitat component it is looking for they run towards it. Each animal
must find the sign for the habitat component it is looking for. When they find a matching sign,
they bring that student back to the animal side of the line. If an animal fails to find food, water,
or shelter they become part of the habitat and remain on that side of the line. If no animal
needs a habitat component that student remains on the habitat side of the line.
13. Instruct students to turn their backs to each other and make a new hand signal. Then turn to
face each other and begin again. Let the game run for at least 10 rounds.
Extension: Keep a tally of the animal population at the end of every round. At the end of the
game, graph the population changes (each round represents 1 year – graph population against
year). Discuss what sorts of environmental changes could impact the changing population,
positively or negatively.
14. Stop the game and gather students together. Ask them what the saw and experienced with
different student numbers on each side of the line. For example, a small herd of animals (1/4
class) began by finding more than enough food, water, shelter and the population grew over the
first few rounds. Then as the herd outnumbered the habitat components animals “died” and
rejoined the habitat – the habitat could not support the larger herd.
Extension: Start the game again, but this time alter the habitat every few rounds. For example,
a drought round (quietly instruct habitat students not to signal water), bush fire round (no
shelter), etc.
Language / Art: Defining Endangered species
Australia contains over 600 000 species including plants, mammals, birds, sealife, etc. A lot of
these species are unique to Australia; that means that they are only found in Australia. About 84
per cent of plants, 83 per cent of mammals, and 45 per cent of birds are only found in Australia.
People make a big impact on these ecosystems, many species in Australia have become extinct in
Australia over the past 200 years - since European arrival. There are currently almost 900
endangered species in Australia. The endangered species list includes mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians, arthropods, fish, molluscs, and echinoderms.
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act list currently includes 451 animals 55 extinct, 54 critically endangered, 142 endangered, 193 vulnerable, and 6 conservation
dependent.
(from: www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened; www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna)
What do all these categories mean? As a class, come up with a creative way to illustrate the
different “steps” on the conservation scale, from a healthy population to an extinct species. Create
an illustration for each term that shows through a picture what that term means. Display your
images around the classroom for reference.
Extension: Research some of the species found in each category. Include some of these animals
in your illustrations.
Find out the status of different species on the IUCN Red List: www.iucnredlist.org

Tasmanian Tiger (extinct)

Leadbeater’s Possum (endangered)
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NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
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Teacher’s Guide 2014
ENGAGING WITH YOUR VISIT
This exhibition has been developed to create the experience of
walking into a design studio. The exhibition is unfinished, objects
of significance have been chosen, but how will we use them?
Students can explore the exhibition through either a self-guided
program or as a facilitated workshop.
SELF-GUIDED EXPLORATION
Before arriving at the National Wool Museum students should be given a brief overview of the building
and exhibits they will be seeing. If you will be focussing on a particular theme or display encourage
students to generate questions and goals before arriving to shape their visit. Students need time to
familiarise themselves with their environment and to orient their interests in the space. Allow a few
moments in each gallery, of free wandering before introducing an activity or leading question. Vary how
you search for information and experiences in each gallery, but be involved in this search to motivate
and model for students.
CONTENT SUMMARY: MEET THE ANIMALS (AND REPTILES)
a.
Tiger (Panthera tigris)
[www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger]
Habitat: 80% of tigers are found on the Indian subcontinent.
Lifespan: Tigers can live up to 10-12 years in the wild
Size: The largest of all the Asian big cats, male tigers can weigh up to about
300kg, while females can weigh up to about 170kg.
Hunting: Tigers are carnivores. They rely primarily on sight and sound rather than
smell. Tigers are solitary and they typically hunt alone and stalk prey. A tiger can
consume up to 88 pounds of meat at one time.
Young: Tigers give birth to 2-3 cubs every 2-2.5 years. They are independent after
2 years, but about half of all cubs do not survive more than two years.
Threats: Across their range, tigers are competing for space with dense and
growing human populations. They face pressure from poaching, retaliatory killings
and habitat loss.
b.
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
[www.arkive.org/ocelot/leopardus-pardalis/]
Habitat: The ocelot is found across Central and South America.
Lifespan: Ocelots can live up to 10 years in the wild.
Size: The female ocelot is roughly one third smaller than the male. The largest of
the small spotted cats, they weigh about 11kg. The ocelot is quite a variable
species, with around ten subspecies currently recognised. The short, sleek fur
varies in colour from tawny yellow, to reddish, to grey, and is marked with both
solid black spots and open, dark-centered rosettes, which often run in parallel
chains along the side of the body, the typical pattern of the species. Each
individual ocelot has a unique coat pattern.
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Teacher’s Guide 2014
Hunting: Ocelots are crepuscular (active dawn and dusk) and nocturnal (active at
night), usually hunting smaller mammals, birds and reptiles.
Young: They have 1-4 young in a litter.
Threats: The ocelot is one of the best known and most common cat species in its
range; current threats are primarily habitat loss to people and hunting for illegal
trade in pelts.
c.
Clouded Leopard (Neofilis nebulose)
[www.cloudedleopard.org]
Habitat: Clouded leopards are usually found in the tropical rain forests of
Southeast Asia from southern China and central Nepal through Thailand,
Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra. They have also been recorded in Himalayan
foothills up to 5,000 feet (1,524m).
Lifespan: Unknown in the wild, but up to 17 years in captivity.
Size: The clouded leopard is named for its distinctive markings – ellipses edged in
black with the insides a darker color than the background color of the pelt. The pelt
color varies from a tawny to silvery grey. Males can weigh up to 18kg and females
up to 14kg.
Hunting: Clouded leopards are one of the most arboreal of all cats. They are able
to run down tree trunks headfirst, climb by hanging underneath horizontal
branches, and even hang upside down from branches by their hind feet. They may
forage to some degree in trees and will use them for resting areas. Clouded
leopards’ tails can be as long as their bodies – about three feet – aiding them in
balance. Recent studies of wild clouded leopards indicate that they are primarily
crepuscular (active dawn and dusk); they hunt prey from deer to primates.
Young: 1-5 cubs in a litter. The cubs do not open their eyes for the first 12 days;
they become independent at about 10 months of age.
Threats: Habitat loss due to deforestation, some of the fastest rates of
deforestation in the world, and illegal trade in skin, bones, and exotic pets. The
population is estimated to be less than 10 000 animals worldwide.
d.
Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)
[www.snowleopard.org/]
Habitat: Snow leopards are only found in the rugged mountains of Central Asia.
They are perfectly adapted to the cold, barren landscape of the mountains and
have a range of over 2 million km2.
Lifespan: Estimated at 10-12 years in the wild.
Size: Snow leopards can weigh up to 55kg.
Hunting: They primarily hunt sheep, ibex, hare, and small rodents and birds. They
often hunt livestock which leads to retaliation killing by farmers.
Young: 2-3 cubs to a litter in captivity, but unknown in the wild; they stay with their
mother for up to 2 years.
Threats: There are only between 4,000 and 6,500 snow leopards left in the wild.
They are particularly threatened by habitat loss, loss of prey (being replaced by
livestock), and poaching.
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Teacher’s Guide 2014
e.
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
[http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/wild/biogeogra
phic-regions/neotropic/jaguar/]
Habitat: They are found across Central and South America, particularly the
Amazon rainforest.
Lifespan: Jaguars live for 12–15 years in the wild.
Size: Jaguars are the third-largest ‘big cats’, behind lions and tigers and the
largest of the cats in the Americas. They can weigh up to 115kg. There is
variation across the species, with northern individuals tending to be paler and
smaller in size than their southern counterparts. Some Jaguars are naturally black.
Hunting: Jaguars are solitary hunters. They have strong, muscular bodies for
stalking and ambushing prey and moving through dense forests. They use a
method unique among cats to kill prey; their large teeth and great jaws enable
them to penetrate the skull of the animal and puncture its brain.
Young: Females give birth to 2–4 blind, helpless cubs, and defend and rear them
for about six months. The young remain with their mother for up to two years
before leaving to find their own territory.
Threats: They are hunted for their fur, paws and teeth; by farmers in retaliation for
livestock killing; and face habitat loss through deforestation.
f.
Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri)
[www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=273]
Habitat: Found only in western highlands of Victoria, Australia.
Lifespan: 5 years in the wild, 13 years in captivity
Size: They can weigh up to 165g.
Hunting: Leadbeater possums are a nocturnal, arboreal species that feeds mostly
on tree gum and insects.
Young: They can have a litter of 2 joeys up to twice a year.
Threats: Loss of habitat - the possums require old trees and tree remnants with
hollows for shelter and breeding. Their habitat is threatened by wildfires and
logging. They are also now threatened by inbreeding due to their small
population. (presumed extinct until 1960, growing population due to zoo breeding
programs)
g.
Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus)
[www.iucnredlist.org/details/14222/0; www.australiananimallearningzone.com/numbat.htm ]
Habitat: Endemic to Western Australia, with some introduced populations in South
Australia and New South Wales in Eucalyptus woodlands and grasslands.
Lifespan: Unknown in the wild; 6-7 years in captivity.
Size: Numbats vary in size from 280-700g.
Hunting: Numbats have a very strong sense of smell and fed on termites and ants.
One numbat can eat up to 20 000 termites a day; they have a sticky tongue they
flick out to catch them.
Young: 2-4 young in a litter each year.
Threats: Introduced species predation - foxes.
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Teacher’s Guide 2014
h.
Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata)
[www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals-az/striped_possum.html]
Habitat: Life in upland and lowland forests of north Queensland and New Guinea.
Lifespan: About 9 years in captivity
Size: These possums grow to about 400g.
Hunting: These possums are solitary, nocturnal animals. They feed on flowers,
leaves, fruit and insect and insect larvae. It has a very strong, unpleasant smell.
Young: They have up to 2 babies each year.
Threats: Mainly deforestation, but not seriously threatened at present.
i.
Bandicoot (there are several different species)
[www.environment.nsw.gov.au/animals/bandicoots.htm]
Habitat: They are found throughout Australia.
Lifespan: 2-4 years in the wild.
Size: They vary in size but can weigh up to 2kg.
Hunting: They are nocturnal, foraging at night for a variety of insects, plant roots
and fungi.
Young: They have several litters each year of up to 5 babies; usually 1-2 in a litter
survive.
Threats: Half of Australia’s bandicoot species are now extinct, mainly due to habit
loss and predation from introduced species like foxes and wild dogs.
j.
Tiger Quoll (Dasyurus maculates)
[www.environment.gov.au/resource/tiger-quoll-spotted-tailed-quoll-or-spot-tailed-quolldasyurus-maculatus]
Habitat: They are found in forested areas around Australia.
Lifespan: 3-5 years in the wild.
Size: The largest marsupial carnivore in mainland Australia, it can weigh up to
Hunting: Quolls are nocturnal carnivores and have a varied diet from birds, eggs,
reptiles and insects up to larger mammals like possums and small wallabies.
Young: They have litters of up to 6 and the young quolls are independent at 18
weeks of age.
Threats: There are 4 species of quoll in Australia; their biggest threat is habitat
loss due to human activities and predation from introduced species like foxes.
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Teacher’s Guide 2014
k.
Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
[http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/tasmanian-tiger]
Habitat: Endemic to Australia - now extinct. The last recorded animal died in
Hobart Zoo, Tasmania.
Lifespan: Unknown, but estimated to be 5-8 years.
Size: The thylacine looked like a long dog with stripes, a heavy stiff tail and a big
head. A fully grown thylacine could measure 180cm from the tip of the nose to the
tip of the tail, stand 58cm high at the shoulder and weigh about 30 kilograms. It
had short, soft fur that was brown except for the thick black stripes which extended
from the base of the tail to the shoulders.
Hunting: Thylacines were carnivores. They were reported to be relentless hunters
who pursed their prey until the prey was exhausted. Like the dingo, the thylacine
was a very quiet animal, although they are reported to have made a husky barking
sound or a loud yap when anxious or excited. The thylacine was said to have an
awkward way of moving, trotting stiffly and not moving particularly quickly. They
walked on their toes like a dog but could also move in a more unusual way - a
bipedal hop. The animal would stand upright with its front legs in the air, resting its
hind legs on the ground and using its tail as a support, exactly the way a kangaroo
does. Thylacines had been known to hop for short distances in this position.
Young: Thylacines were marsupials. They had a litter of up 4; babies were
dependent on the mother until half grown.
Threats: EXTINCT. On 7 September 1936, the last known Tasmanian Tiger died
at the Hobart Zoo. This was the first known species of animal to become extinct in
Tasmania. The species was seen as a threat to sheep and was aggressively
hunted, it also faced competition from domestic dogs and was affected by disease.
l.
Coral Snake (Simoselaps australis)
[http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/snakes-found-invictoria/coral-snake/]
Habitat: Found throughout Australia, mostly in arid places where they burrow.
(There a variety of other coral snake species found in other parts of the world)
Lifespan: Unknown in the wild, up to 10 years in captivity.
Size: Up to 40cm long.
Hunting: Mainly nocturnal, the coral snake feeds on the eggs of small reptiles.
Young: The female lays 4-6 eggs.
Threats: Natural habitat being cleared for crops and grazing.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: MEET THE ANIMALS (AND REPTILES)
Use the above information as a starting on to research the creatures you will see on display. Can
you find your creature in the exhibition based on its pelt? These pelts have been knit true to life how do the size and colours compare to what you expected? Compare the size, shape, colour
and markings of your specimen to the other knitted pelts and skins on display.
Take a picture of your specimen. Then, using chart paper try to create a colour chart of a section
of the pelt as Ruth did.
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REFLECTING ON YOUR VISIT
Within a few days of the excursion provide students with an opportunity to
respond to their visit. This will reinforce information gained and improve the
long-term recall of this experience.
DISCUSS

Talk about “craftivism” and using art to raise awareness about important issues, like
endangered species

Visit the Knitting Nannas of Toolangi for example:
www.facebook.com/pages/Knitting-Nannas-ofToolangi/290793144385379
The “Knot Impussumble Project”
Leadbeater's Possums are endangered in the State of Victoria,
Australia - with their remaining habitats currently under extreme
duress / danger by logging initiatives. The Nannas are collecting
knitted possums to use for public events.
Can you develop a creative way to raise awareness about an issue that is important to you? Create
a project that will get others involved in developing a new skill as they learn about your issue.
When planning your project consider:
 What is your issue? Choose one topic to focus on - for example, with endangered species
select one animal or one threat to be your issue.
 Why does it concern you?
 What impact does it have on another person? Visit sites like Zoos Victoria and the World
Wildlife Foundation to look at how they appeal to people. For example, why might the Zoo
choose an animal like a possum over a stick insect to appeal to visitors - even though both are
unique creatures?
 What do you want your audience to do? For example, do you just want to educate them or do
you want to encourage them to take a particular action, etc.
PRACTICE
Mathematics / The Arts: Be inspired by your visit to Vanished and learn a new skill:


Learn to knit. See instructions pp 12-13.
Learn to chart a pattern based on an image - using a chart to move and scale an image.
Extension: http://www.illusionknitting.woollythoughts.com/information.html
Geography / Civics & Citizenship: Creature Connections




Research the habitat of a selected animal from the exhibition
Identify natural (mountains, rivers) and manmade (cities, dams) features in the region.
Where does the habitat overlap these features? What impact could these features have on
your animal’s survival?
After researching your creature, connect your knowledge with your classmates. Try the
geodesic sphere activity, pp. 15-18, to visualise these connections. Display your completed
sphere in the classroom.
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HOW TO KNIT
CONCEPT

Develop hand-eye coordination; develop counting, sequencing, and pattern recognition skills.
MATERIALS



Yarn
Knitting needles
Scissors
DIRECTIONS
Casting On:
1. Find the end of the yarn. Tie the end around one needle.
2. Hold the needle with the loop on it in your left hand.
3. Hold the other needle as you would hold a pencil.
4. Push the point of the right hand needle through the front part of the loop on the left hand needle.
5. Put the yarn around the top of the right hand needle.
6. Pull this new loop through the first loop using your right hand needle.
7. Slip the new loop back onto the left hand needle. You now have two stitches.
8. Now push the point of your right hand needle behind the new stitch, bring the yarn around the needle
to make another stitch.
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Plain Stitch (or Garter stitch):
1. Cast on required number of stitches (eg. 20 stitches).
2. Push the point of your right hand needle through the middle of the first stitch.
3. Put the yarn around the top of the right hand needle.
4. Pull the loop through using your right hand needle.
5. Now allow the first stitch on your left hand to slip off.
6. Now complete the same steps with every stitch and then you will have knitted a row.
7. Swap needles and repeat steps 1-6 to knit a second row, always moving stitches from the left hand
needle to the right.
Casting Off:
1. Knit two stitches.
2. Push the point of your left hand needle into the centre of the first stitch.
3. Lift the first stitch over the second stitch and over the top of the right hand needle.
4. Drop the stitch off the needle so that only one stitch remains on the right hand needle.
5. Continue on until you have only one stitch left.
6. Slip the last stitch off your needle. Break off the wool and put the end through the stitch and pull
firmly.
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WORD WALL
CONCEPT

Familiarise students with some of the vocabulary they will encounter at the National Wool
Museum.
MATERIALS





A4 sheet of paper for each student
Colouring materials (crayons, markers, etc)
Dictionary
Key word list (relevant to particular program)
A4 sheet of paper
DIRECTIONS
1.
In a class discussion, invite students to share any words they can think of relating to
museums or memory items. Discuss simple definitions for these terms and explain that
students will encounter many new words during their excursion. Expand the brainstormed list with terms from the Key Word list (p. 5).
2.
Assign each student one word.
3.
Have students find their word in a dictionary and create a
simple definition in their own words. Or, distribute the
definitions from the Key Word list and students can work
from these to produce their own definitions.
4.
Distribute paper and colouring materials to students.
5.
Fold A4 sheet in half length-wise.
6.
Lift the flap and write the definition on the inside.
7.
Use pictures and creative lettering to write the word in a
way that illustrates its meaning on the outside face.
8.
Post these words on a classroom bulletin board.
Extra words that students encounter during their visit to the
National Wool Museum may be added to the wall following their excursion.
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NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Teacher’s Guide 2014
GEODESIC SPHERE
CONCEPT
Students will understand the survival needs of endangered species and how human actions can have an
impact. Students will choose either an endangered species or a current environmental issue to research.
They need to identify 4 key pieces of information:
Geographic area (area the species lives in or the area affected by the environmental issue)
Habitat change (is the species threatened due to a habitat change? – eg. access to food, water, shelter; how
is the environmental issue changing the habitat?)
Human action negative (what human action has caused the species to be endangered or the environmental
issue to surface)
Human action positive (what action is currently or could be undertaken to improve species survival or shift
the environmental issue)
For example: Leadbeater’s Possum
Victoria’s Central Highlands
Loss of habitat
Logging, bushfire
Breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary
MATERIALS



One template page per group, copied onto cardstock*
Scissors
Pens/textas
* a minimum of 36 individual squares are required to build a sphere, eg. six groups of six students
DIRECTIONS
Organize information: Make the squares
1. Carefully cut out all squares (six to a page).
2. Cut along the four angled lines, careful to not to extend the slot.
3. Give each student one square.
4. In the centre of each square the student should write the name of their species or the
environmental issue they have researched.
5. Along the four angled lines the students write their 4 key pieces of information.
Make connections: To construct the sphere (see diagrams on following pages) 6. Now students need to work together as a class to join their squares of information. Instruct
students to find another student with a matching piece of information, for example 2
animals that are from the same geographic area or that are affected by the same habitat
change. Connect the squares together where their information connects. Now find another
student to connect information with and so on.
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NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Teacher’s Guide 2014
3
7. Insert a short slot from square on into a long slot of square 2.
8. Insert a short slot of square 3 into a long slot on square 1 (the side closest to square 2).
Insert the adjacent long slot on square 3 into the nearest short slot on square 2.
9. The intersection tips will form a small indented triangle. 2Connect groups of three together
following the same pattern. See images of construction for assistance.
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NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Teacher’s Guide 2014
17
NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014
Teacher’s Guide 2014
Regularly
repeating
pentagonshaped gap
18
NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM
Vanished Into Stitches: 8 Aug - 7 Dec 2014