In the Clothing4Climate project, students delve into the environmental ramifications of our clothing industry. Participants gain insights into the ecological footprint of clothing across its entire lifecycle—from production and consumption to waste management. They analyze how these processes contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and water consumption. Moreover, students brainstorm sustainable solutions to mitigate these issues and foster a more environmentally friendly clothing system.
The project follows a structured curriculum comprising thematic 'learn' modules, including Climate Change and Water Systems. Each module incorporates lesson plans organized into four sections: Start, Choose an Action, Learn, and Share.
Module Overviews:
1. Climate Change: Tailored for high school students, this unit explores the climate impact of clothing choices.
2. Water Systems: Designed for middle school students, this module explores the clothing industry's impact on water systems.
Clothing4Climate covers various life skills, including design thinking, team building, creative thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, and do-it-yourself mending.
This project would be best suited for the science classroom. It could be used as part of a unit in environmental science looking at human impacts on sustainability. As well, the modules could be used to explore topics such as the carbon cycle, water pollution, and the ecological footprint of clothing production.
Although the connection isn't as strong, this project could connect to learning outcomes in Geography, History, Language Arts, Social Sciences, Family Students and Civics.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | By considering multiple viewpoints and evaluating evidence, students are empowered to make informed decisions and take a position on issues related to sustainability and the clothing industry. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | The Clothing4Climate project provides a comprehensive and multi-dimensional exploration of the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the clothing industry. By engaging with these dimensions, students develop a holistic understanding of the complex issues surrounding fashion and sustainability. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | The project delves into the multifaceted nature of the clothing industries environmental impact, acknowledging the complexity of factors involved in clothing production, consumption, and waste management. It examines various aspects such as material sourcing, manufacturing processes, consumer behavior, and end-of-life disposal. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | Students will choose an action that helps to address environmental impacts by changing their own habits or influencing the habits of others. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | Students are empowered to translate their beliefs and values into action through the development and implementation of sustainability action plans. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Poor/Not considered | This is not the focus of this resource. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Good | The Clothing4Climate project encourages a personal affinity with the Earth by fostering a deep connection to the natural world and promoting a sense of responsibility towards environmental stewardship. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | Youth are very interested in clothing, especially as a means of expressing themselves and their unique identity. Youth also have some agency in deciding what to wear and can make some of their own clothing choices. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Very Good | The Clothing4Climate project promotes an understanding of the past, present, and future by contextualizing environmental issues within a historical framework, examining current trends and practices, and envisioning future possibilities for sustainable change. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | In this project, students find their own solutions for clothing impacts on environmental issues. They are not steered toward one right solution. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Satisfactory | While this resource is mostly connected to science outcomes, components of the project could connect to learning outcomes in Geography, History, Language Arts, Social Sciences, Family Students and Civics. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Good | Students will be exposed to the impact of clothing on the environment. They will then choose an action to help address the problem. The teacher's role is to assist where needed. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | The variety of activities in this project addresses the needs of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. However, strategies for learners with difficulties are not included. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Good | This project aligns closely with real-world contexts by addressing pressing environmental and social issues related to the clothing industry and promoting actionable solutions that have relevance beyond the classroom. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | Students will work in groups. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Very Good | The actions provided on the student website are authentic learning tasks that can be used in summative assessment. A topic assessment guide and an expectation checklist are also provided. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Very Good | Once students have finished implementing their Actions, they will share what they've accomplished with one or more of the following audiences:
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Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | Through lessons and videos, students will discover the impact that our clothing system has on the environment. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Very Good | Students will have full control over what action they choose to work on during this project. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |