Secondary project briefs (ages 11+)

Bronze Awards are typically completed by students aged 11+. They complete a ten-hour project which is a perfect introduction to STEM project work. Over the course of the project, teams of students design their own investigation, record their findings, and reflect on their learnings. This process gives students a taste of what it is like to be a scientist or engineer in the real-world.

Silver Awards are typically completed by students aged 14+ over thirty hours. Project work at Silver level is designed to stretch your students and enrich their STEM studies. Students direct the project, determining the project’s aim and how they will achieve it. They carry out the project, record and analyse their results and reflect on the project and their learnings. All Silver projects are assessed by CREST assessors via our online platform.

Gold Awards are typically completed by students aged 16+ over seventy hours. Students’ projects are self-directed, longer term and immerse them in real research. At this level, we recommend students work with a mentor from their chosen STEM field of study. All Gold projects are assessed by CREST assessors via our online platform. There are more CREST approved resources that have been developed by our partners and providers specific to your region.

There are more CREST approved resources that have been developed by our partners and providers specific to your region.

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Bronze Silver Gold Partner resources

crestaward

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2 years ago

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Sailing clothing

This resource is published under an Attribution - non-commercial - no derivatives 4.0 International creative commons licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). For more information visit our Terms and Conditions (www.crestawards.org/terms-and-conditions).

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Page 1 of 2 What fabrics are best for sailing gear? In this project, you will investigate and compare the waterproof and breathability properties of a range of fabrics used in clothing designed for sailing. You will find out about the different fabrics used in wet weather sailing gear and how breathable waterproofs work including the advantages and disadvantages over conventional waterproof fabrics. Getting started You will need to research the names of a number of manufacturers of waterproof sailing wear. You will need to devise experiments for comparing the waterproof and breathability properties of various sample fabrics which are similar to those used in sailing clothing. Here are some ideas to help you: Waterproof: Half fill a 250ml beaker with water, cover it with one of the sample fabrics and secure with sturdy elastic bands. Invert the beaker over a funnel placed in a measuring cylinder and record the amount of water (if any) that drips into the measuring cylinder every hour for 4 hours. Do this for each of the fabrics - one of the fabrics could be a control e.g. a sheet of polythene or some other material that you are confident is 100% waterproof. Breathability: Half fill a 250ml beaker with water, cover it with one of the sample fabrics and secure with sturdy elastic bands. Measure the mass of the beaker plus water and fabric as accurately as possible on an electronic balance. Do this for each of the fabrics, including your 100% waterproof control, and measure their mass daily for about a week. If a fabric is breathable the mass of the beaker and water will drop as water vapour escapes from the beaker through the fabric. The drop in mass over a certain time will be a measure of the breathability of the fabric. Click to edit project description Things to think about What are the most important features of sailing clothing? What makes a fabric waterproof? What are breathable fabrics and what are their advantages and disadvantages? What are the best clothing products currently available for sailing? What was sailing clothing like in the past? What new technologies might be used in sailing clothing in the future? Useful resources You could ask for samples of different fabrics including breathable and nonbreathable ones from manufacturers. This will need to be done well in advance so that you have them in time for your investigation. Local outdoor shops may be able to help. Alternatively, you could use samples of similar fabrics from old clothing or other recycled textiles.