Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Where do fibres come from?

20 minutes

Find Out: Cotton case study

25+ minutes

Take Action: Cotton collection

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune In: Where do fibres come from?

Step 1

Invite students to suggest what they think the term ‘fibre’ means in the context of something we might make or use.

Explain that the definition of fibre is

“any of the thread-like parts that form plant or artificial material and can be made into cloth.” (source)

Step 2

Students will now explore different types of fibres and the source of these fibres.

Using the images and labels from the Fibre Mix and Match sheet, invite students to match each fibre name with the correct fibre source.

Step 3

Still looking at the fibre images, ask students to suggest which of these sources of fibre might be found on a farm and which ones are connected to agriculture.

You might want to take a moment to explain the distinction between farming and agriculture to students. Farming is a part of agriculture that is mainly concerned with the growing and raising of plants and animals. Agriculture includes farming but is also about the science and research behind farming practices as well as the processing and sale of agricultural products. Agriculture is a much broader term than farming.

Explain to students that all of the fibre sources - apart from the oil that is used to make polyester, acrylic and nylon - can be farmed. Farmers don’t just produce food; they also produce the fibres that are needed to make many of the clothes and other fabric items that we use.

Tip: Invite students to suggest what types of fibres they might interact with in their daily lives. For example, clothes, sheets, towels, tea towels, carpets, curtains, cushions etc.

Find Out: Cotton case study

Step 1

Using the images on the Fibre Mix and Match sheet, direct students to the image of the cotton plants. Explain to students that cotton is one of the most popular fibres in Australia and around the world.

Some facts about cotton in Australia include:

It is not important for students to remember all these facts, but the aim here is to ensure that they understand that cotton is a big industry in Australia involving many farms and farmers.

Step 2

Take a moment to check the clothing labels of the clothes students are wearing (keeping clothes on!). Is anyone wearing anything made of cotton?

Explain to students that most of us don’t think too much about what the clothes we are wearing are made of; instead, we focus on how they look or feel. But the things they are made of are important, especially when it comes to the health of the environment.

We might assume that clothes that are made of oil (like plastic-based polyester, acrylic and nylon) are the ones that are the worst for the environment because they are a type of plastic. But cotton can have some pretty serious impacts on our environment.

Step 3

Explain to students that they will now be watching a video about how a cotton t-shirt is made and what some of the environmental and human impacts are of a t-shirt.

You will be watching the video until 4:40 (the remainder of the video will be watched in the Take Action part of this lesson).

Assign students with a number from 1 to 5, and write up the following list on the board:

pesticides and insecticides in cotton growing
water use
chemicals in processing (turning fibre into fabric)
human impacts in making t-shirts
carbon emissions and energy use.*

* Suitable for students requiring extension.

As they watch the video, they need to take notes about the issue they have been assigned.

If time permits, you could watch the video once through and allow students to watch without taking notes.

The life cycle of a t-shirt - Angel Chang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiSYoeqb_VY)

Step 4

Once complete, invite students to share what they noticed based on the issue they were assigned in the video. Some notes have been listed below to contribute to your discussion; however, these are not conclusive and further research could be undertaken by students (video timings have also been included if you want to revisit the different sections of the video):

Pesticides and insecticides - 0:51 to 1:32
- Cotton uses more insecticides and pesticides than any other crop in the world. NOTE: 'Pesticide' is a broad term for a chemical that kills pests, including weeds, insects, rodents, diseases, etc. An insecticide is a type of pesticide that is aimed at only killing insect pests.
- Pesticides and insecticides can be carcinogenic (cancer-causing), can harm the health of field workers and can damage surrounding ecosystems. NOTE: Pesticides and insecticides can be blown or washed with rain into the surrounding environment.

Organic cotton is better but only represents 1% of cotton produced worldwide.

Water use 0:51 to 1:32 and 3:54 to 4:20
- 2700 litres of water are needed to produce the average t-shirt (this is equivalent to 30 bathtubs)
- The washing of t-shirts after they have been worn uses a lot of water, with one average American washing machine using 40 gallons of water
  NOTE: this is equivalent to 150 litres of water.

Chemicals in processing - 1:55 to 2:32
- Chemicals can be carcinogenic to workers
- Chemicals can be released into rivers and oceans
  NOTE: Chemicals that are released into the waterways from factories can cause water pollution, which in turn can harm aquatic ecosystems and the humans and animals that rely on those ecosystems.

Human impacts in making t-shirts - 2:44 to 3:16
- T-shirts are often made in Bangladesh, China, India and Turkey
- Bangladesh employs 4.5 million people in the t-shirt industry
- Workers usually face poor conditions and low wages
  NOTE: Factories are often sweatshops where labourers, including children, work in unsafe conditions for low wages and long hours. The fast fashion industry is the most damaging in this respect because fast fashion is about producing cheap clothes quickly. This often means the workers making the clothes get paid very little. For example, for a t-shirt that costs you $28 to buy new in Australia, the worker who made the t-shirt is paid the equivalent of 30c.

Carbon emissions - 3:15 to 3:54
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. NOTE: Burning fossil fuels produces carbon emissions to make energy, and they are heating our atmosphere, causing our climate to change.

The energy required to power washing machines and dryers can create carbon emissions
NOTE: If you have solar panels and wash your clothes during the day when the sun is shining, you are using the energy of the sun to wash your clothes rather than energy from fossil fuels. Energy from the sun does not produce carbon emissions.

Step 5

Explain to students that there are a couple of very important impacts relating to cotton t-shirts that weren’t discussed in this video:

Firstly, the farms that grow cotton have been created by clearing natural vegetation. This has all sorts of impacts, including on biodiversity, soil health and the carbon emissions that were previously being absorbed by this vegetation.
Secondly, this video didn’t mention the issue of waste: what happens to all the cotton t-shirts that people no longer fit into, like wearing, or that have gotten old and holey? On average, every Australian buys 56 items of clothing yearly, but we throw away about 23 kilograms of clothing each year, and most of this goes to landfill each year (source). This is obviously a huge problem, and students will be taking action to find some solutions to this issue in the Take Action part of this lesson.

Step 6 (Optional)

If time permits, students could work collaboratively to create a life cycle image that shows some of the environmental impacts at each of the following stages of a cotton t-shirt:

growing
processing
transporting
sewing a t-shirt
wearing and washing
waste.

Students could work in groups to make a whole life cycle for a shirt, or you could break the class into 6 groups, with each group making an image for one stage. These could then be printed and combined on a poster or wall space.

Take Action: Cotton collection

Step 1

Play the final section of the video, where it talks about what we can do (from 4:40 to 5:10):

The life cycle of a t-shirt - Angel Chang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiSYoeqb_VY)

Invite students to describe the actions listed in this video, for example:

shop second-hand
look for fabrics made from recycled or organic fabrics
wash clothes less and dry them on the washing line
instead of throwing them away when you no longer want them, donate, recycle or reuse them
ask yourself: do I really need it?

Explain to students that they are now going to focus on the points of ‘recycle and reuse’.

Step 2

Students will now research and come up with an idea for something that can be made from unwanted cotton items. These items could be sold to raise money for a cause of your choosing.

Students can work in groups to research ideas. Some good places to start could include:

Students will need to:

plan where to source their materials
plan what to make with their materials
create labels to explain what they are making and why (include information about the environmental and human impacts of the cotton industry)
plan how to distribute or sell their products if this is what they want to do.

Step 3

Provide students with an opportunity to share their work with an audience. This could take the form of a photo journal, a written report or a presentation at assembly.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to respond to the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What was the most interesting or important thing you learned in this lesson?

What is still confusing or challenging for you? What questions do you still have?
How has this lesson changed your thinking about what you wear?

Cotton upcycling project reflection:

What did you like the most about the cotton upcycling project?
What are you most proud of about this project?
What didn’t you like about this project?
What would you do differently next time?

Farming Fibres

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Summary

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Lesson Details

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Curriculum Mapping

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

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