Primary
Curated OER

History Matters: Camella Teoli Testifies About the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the gripping testimony of an immigrant girl who testified before a U.S. Congressional committee detailing the conditons in the textile mill in which she worked. Because of these unsafe working conditions, the textile workers...
Graphic
Other

Weaving History: Charlotte and the Textile Industry

For Students 9th - 10th
Photo essay with commentary on southern textile mills in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

Gifts and Blessings: The Textile Arts of Madagascar

For Students 3rd - 8th
To the people of Madagascar woven cloth is more than just something nice to wear. Come explore the topic of textiles and their importance to these African people.
Website
Other

Historic Landmarks Commission: Cotton Mill & Textile History Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
Links to pictures and essays on many early cotton mills in the Charlotte, N.C. area.
Interactive
University of Manchester

Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: How Are Textiles Made?

For Students 2nd - 4th
Interactive exploration of textiles and cloth derived from plants, animals, and petrochemicals.
Interactive
University of Manchester

Children's University of Manchester: How Are Textiles Decorated?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Discover the various ways that textiles are decorated and then take a small quiz to see all you've learned.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Paracas Textile

For Students 9th - 10th
One of the most extraordinary masterpieces of the pre-Columbian Americas is a nearly 2,000-year-old cloth from the South Coast of Peru. View detailed pictures and read the backstory of this textile in this essay.
Handout
Art Cyclopedia

Artcyclopedia: Complete List of Textile Artists

For Students 9th - 10th
ArtCyclopedia's complete list of textile artists from the 17th century to the present day. There are links to the artists' biography and works.
Website
Other

Lecture Notes: Textile Factories Come to the u.s.

For Students 9th - 10th
Clemson University provides a historical overview of the wave of textile factories, including Slater and Lowell, that cropped up in the northeast. Hyperlinks to additional information.
Website
George Washington University

Textile Museum: Pieces of a Puzzle: Classical Persian Carpet Fragments

For Students 9th - 10th
After a brief overview of Persian carpets learn about the Khorasan region and the techniques used to create Khorasan carpets. Then, learn how the carpets are designed and view multiple examples of different types of carpets.
Website
University of North Carolina

University of North Carolina: History of Textiles

For Students 9th - 10th
Beginning in the early 1900's textile production became predominant in the Southeast where labor and raw materials were cheap. Since the 1950's however, the textile and apparel industries have followed the general trend of all...
Interactive
University of Manchester

Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: Pattern and Textiles

For Students 3rd - 5th
Interactive explanation of a key design principle-pattern-with a built-in design-your-own pattern application for displaying designs on clothing or furniture.
Graphic
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian: Textiles of the North American Southwest

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explores the weaving traditions of the Native American and Hispanic peoples of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. A gallery of artifacts, timeline, map glossary, and textual descriptions are included. This is a...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: All T'oqapu Tunic

For Students 9th - 10th
The All-T'oqapu Tunic is an example of the height of Andean textile fabrication and its centrality to Inka expressions of power. Read about the making of Andean textiles and their iconography.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

The Fabric of Moroccan Life

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Click on the map of Morocco to discover the textiles that come from each particular region.
Interactive
University of Manchester

Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: The Color Wheel

For Students 2nd - 4th
Interactive resource explains primary, secondary, tertiary, and complementary colors, the symbolic content of color, and the relationship between color and mood.
Interactive
University of Manchester

Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: World Costume

For Students 2nd - 4th
Interactive resource for exploring what traditional forms of dress reveal about the culture and location of the people who wear them and the climate where they live.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Introduction to Andean Cultures

For Students 9th - 10th
From textiles to ceramics, metalwork, and architecture, Andean cultures produced art and architecture that responded to their natural environment and reflected their beliefs and social structures. Read more about the Andean culture in...
eBook
Other

Modern World History: The Industrial Revolution Begins in England (1760 1850)

For Students 9th - 10th
In this textbook unit, students learn the reasons why the Industrial Revolution took root in England first, and the innovations that made this possible. These included textile inventions such as the flying shuttle and the spinning jenny,...
Primary
Internet History Sourcebooks Project

Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Richard Guest: The Steam Loom, 1823

For Students 9th - 10th
The Fordham University provides information about the application of steam power, which accelerated the centralization of textile production in factories.
Unknown Type
Stanford University

Beyond the Bubble: Unions in Paterson, New Jersey

For Teachers 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An excerpt from an interview with a textile factory worker named Marianna Costa. In the interview, Costa talks about working conditions at the Arrow Piece Dye Works in Paterson, New Jersey, prior to the...
Graphic
Other

Chinese Embroideries

For Students 9th - 10th
Small Chinese embroideries may be viewed here, with enlargeable images and descriptive text. Links connect to other textiles in the author's collection.
Website
Other

James Hargreaves

For Students 3rd - 8th
The life and work of James Hargreaves, the inventor of the spinning jenny that revolutionized the English textile industry and brought on the Industrial Revolution.
Website
Other

Colours of India: People and Colours

For Students 9th - 10th
An informative and colorful site with examples and descriptions of Indian artifacts, textiles, costumes, and performing arts. Students and teachers can use this site to find a brief overview of these topics.

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