Suggested level: Middle Secondary and Upper Secondary
Resources: https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bangladesh-sweatshop.jpg
Learning Outcome: This lesson fosters ethical thinking and a critical frame of mind through investigating the human rights implications of the fashion industry.
Materials and resources:
Insight on ethical fashion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGYH52zLDO8
TEDx How to engage with ethical fashion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXOd4qh3JKk
Business and Human Rights Advocacy Manual https://www.trocaire.org/sites/default/files/resources/policy/business-human-rights-advocacy-manual.pdf.pdf
This manual contains detailed discussion of the issues involved and 12 case studies
Fashion magazines and advertisements for posters
Pens, poster paper.
Suggested Activities:
1. Students should watch one (or both) of the YouTube clips listed above. In groups of 2-4, the students should investigate one of more of their favourite fashion brands and prepare a brief report. Reports could be written or presented in poster form.
2. Following their investigations students should conduct a simulated TV interview with a fashion company executive. Interviews could be performed live in class or recorded and presented to an audience at a later date.
As a variation, the interview could include other relevant people e.g. a worker from an ethical clothing factory, a worker from a sweatshop, a safety official, the editor of a fashion magazine such as Teen Vogue.
Example questions
- How do we design to reduce the negative effects to both society and the environment that also contributes sustainably to product lifecycle?
- Do you consider the negative environmental effects of the chemicals and colours you choose for your collection?
- Can you increase the integrity and longevity of your products thereby reducing some of the drivers of consumerism?
- How much natural resource do you use for your product?
- Have you considered more environmentally sensitive alternatives to the materials you are currently using?
- Do you consider the longer-term biodegradable attributes of the materials chosen for your product?
- Are you familiar with the supply chain of your material resources?
- Are you aware of social and environmental consequences of your product?
- Have you considered the recycling attributes of your product in the short and longer term?
- In considering the earth as a materially closed system, what are our responsibilities in considering the principle of the Stewardship of the Earth’s ecology in serving the Common Good?