Mitten/Glove
Design
Activity
Student
Resource
Build
a
Better
Glove
or
Mitten
Design
Challenge:
“How
can
we
improve
the
design
of
gloves
and
mittens?”
An
Iditarod
dogsled
race
driver
needs
your
help.
A
few
important
facts:
A
musher
is
a
dogsled
racer
and
the
Iditarod
is
a
dogsled
race
on
the
Iditarod
Trail
between
Anchorage,
Alaska
and
Nome,
Alaska.
The
Iditarod
race
is
held
each
year,
mushers
and
their
dogs
travel
over
1100
miles
of
rough
Alaskan
terrain
in
some
of
the
coldest
Alaskan
Wilderness.
The
dogsled
driver
(musher)
is
looking
for
a
better
glove
or
mitten
for
this
year’s
Iditarod
dogsled
race.
Often
gloves
or
mittens
are
designed
as
a
fashion
accessory
but
in
Alaska
it
is
all
about
staying
warm.
The
musher
would
like
to
hire
your
design
team
to
design
and
build
a
warmer
glove
or
mitten
to
use
in
the
Iditarod
race.
You
will
work
in
a
small
design
team
to
develop
a
better
glove
or
mitten.
Your
group
will
need
to
study
how
mittens
and
gloves
are
used
in
daily
life
and
record
these
observations
in
a
design
notebook.
It
will
also
be
helpful
to
think
about
your
experiences
with
gloves
or
mittens.
Maybe
your
mittens
just
don’t
keep
your
hands
warm
for
very
long.
How
can
you
and
your
classmates
improve
the
design
of
gloves
or
mittens
to
keep
hands
warm
in
frozen
Alaska?
The
mitten/glove
design:
• should
fit
all
classmates’
hands
• fit
over
a
soda
can
or
small
bottle
(for
testing
purposes)
• designed
to
hold
heat
in
Your
Task
1. As
a
team,
discuss
your
experiences
using
gloves
and
mittens
and
take
apart
one
glove
or
mitten.
Examine
the
materials
used
and
basic
parts
of
the
mitten
or
glove.
You
will
make
notes
and
sketches
in
your
design
journal
about
the
parts
of
a
glove
or
mitten.
2. Brainstorm
your
own
ideas
for
a
new
design.
Record
your
design
ideas
in
your
notebook.
Share
design
ideas
with
your
team
and
decide
on
one
design.
3. Generate
a
list
of
materials
you
will
need
for
your
design.
4. Conduct
an
investigation
to
test
hypothesis
based
upon
design
ideas
and
chosen
materials.
5. Create
your
model
and
further
test
the
model
for
its
ability
to
hold
heat
in.
Record
results
of
your
investigation
in
your
notebook.
6. Share
results
of
the
performance
of
the
final
design
solution
to
the
class.
7. Decide
if
changes
are
needed,
rebuild
the
prototype
if
necessary.
8. Present
your
final
design
and
findings
to
the
class.