The majority of our clothing and footwear is produced in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. Production is outsourced mainly because workers in other parts of the world are much cheaper and trade unions have little influence. As a result, basic human and labor rights are violated daily in the manufacture of our clothing. In order to be able to understand and reflect the correlations of their own consumer behavior, the global economy and the poor working conditions in the textile factories, students have to be introduced to the complex topic in a multi-perspective way. This module is intended to support teachers across disciplines in integrating this problem into teaching practice. Following the approach of student orientation, the learner's world of life and experience is the starting point of the learning process.
13-16 | |
4 x 45 min. | |
board/flip chart; buttons; dice; blank flashcards; smartphones/computer with internet access for students; mounting material (magnets / tape / push pins); moderation cards; seewing needles; blank note cards; colored A4 printing paper; pens; computer with internet access and attached projector; mobile phone or other recording device; writing utensils (as needed); white board; scraps of wool and fabric; computer workstations or mobile terminals; world map; | |
T-shirts, jeans, and more - our wardrobe takes us on a journey through the global garment industry. Both the good and bad included. | |
Biology Communication Cosmopolitan issues Dialogue Diversity English Ethics/Religion Geography History IT Language Media Education Political Studies Signs Social Studies/Civic Education Social Learning Symbols |
Abbreviations:
As an introduction, students engage with products from their everyday lives as a means to the realization that they are also global citizens.
Phase | Content | Media, Material |
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Introduction
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Globalization BingoTo get started, Students play “globalization bingo” through which they come to know and reflect on global interconnections and the influence of these connections on their own lives. Objective
Preparation
Execution
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Main section + discussion
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Who Actually Made My T-Shirt?Using the cards, Students take a look at the complexity of the international division of labor and the actors involved, determining how much individual actors earn from one piece of clothing. Objective
Preparation
Execution
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How and where is clothing made, and who makes it? This board game is all about capturing, hands-on, the many steps in garment production across the globe.
Phase | Content | Media, Material |
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Introduction
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Around the World of GarmentsObjective
Preparation
Execution
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Main section
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Homework (optional)
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Students engage with human rights and labor laws in the garment industry and reflect on their own professional wishes and goals.
Phase | Content | Media, Material |
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Introduction
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Human Working ConditionsLabor law? What’s that and what does it have to do with me and with garment workers in Asia? These are only some of the questions Students will be answering about labor laws. Objective
Preparation
Execution
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Discussion
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Kalpona Akter – a life story out of BangladeshThe everyday reality of an individual garment worker in Bangladesh and original texts from international labor law: Students are provided with the tools to formulate what they would like to see changed. Objective
Preparation
Execution
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Students examine their own responsibility as global citizens and get to know alternative behaviors.
Phase | Content | Media, Material |
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Introduction
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Fashion TestWith the Fashion Test, Students examine their own consumer behavior and come to understand that everyone can practice conscious consumption of fashion – without engaging in finger-wagging. Objective
Preparation
Execution
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Main section + discussion
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Alternative BehaviorsFrom policy to me, the consumer, everyone can help make working conditions better. Students tackle how to do this in small groups. Objective
Preparation
Execution
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