Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

50 minutes	Part B: The Obsolescence Of Fashion
10 minutes	Reflection

Part A: What Is Fashion? What Is Fast Fashion?

Step 1.

Begin by introducing the word ‘fashion’ to the class. Break the class into pairs and give students one minute to work in their pairs to brainstorm a definition for this term. Then invite volunteers to share their definitions with the class.

You can use the following definition to clarify student suggestions:

Fashion is a "style of clothing or a way of behaving that is popular at a particular time". - Collins Dictionary

Now invite students to work in the same pairs as before to discuss the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

You can use the suggested answers to prompt or guide students who need help.

What does fashion look like? What forms does it take?
Suggested answer: Fashion can be things that we wear, such as clothes, shoes, jewellery, accessories. Fashion can also be about changing how we look, including hair style and colour, tattoos or piercings.
Why do we do it? Why are people into fashion?
Suggested answer: People are interested in fashion for different reasons: some people see fashion as a way of expressing their personality; someone else might see fashion as cool or as a way to help them feel like they ‘fit in’; some people see certain types of fashion as art and wearing art makes them feel good; some people like fashion because it’s always changing and they find this change exciting, especially when they can be a part of it.
How can fashion be about behaviour?
Suggested answer: Fashion can also be about the language we use (can you think of any words that are ‘cool’ at your school?) and the activities we participate in, like skateboarding or playing sport, or making or listening to certain music.
Where do we ‘get’ fashion from? Where do people find out what is fashionable?
Suggested answer: We see people who look or behave in ways we like either on the catwalk, street, television or the internet. We can then try to find a shop that sells the clothes and accessories we like.
Can you think of any types of fashion or fashion styles?
Suggested answers: Casual, formal, beach, boho (bohemian), hippy, gothic or emo, punk, sporty, business.

Step 2.

Now write the following term on the board:

Fast fashion

Ask students to suggest if they have heard of 'fast fashion' before, and what they think it might mean.

Explain to students that fast fashion refers to clothes that are made quickly and sold cheaply, usually in large quantities. The designs come from the catwalk and clothing manufacturers quickly produce the clothes so that consumers don’t have to wait to be able to buy the clothes. The shops that sell these clothes are bringing in new designs almost every day so that shoppers always have something new to buy.

Step 3.

Now read the following headline to students (source):

Can Fast Fashion And Sustainability Be Stitched Together?

Explain to students that many people are asking questions like these. Students will now look at what the relationship between fast fashion and sustainability might be.

Break students into pairs and ensure each student has a copy of the Student Worksheet. Students will work in pairs to think about this headline and respond to the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

How might fast fashion impact the environment?
Can you think of any issues relating to people and fast fashion?
What might be the relationship between economics and fast fashion?
What other thoughts do you have about fast fashion and sustainability?
What questions do you have about fast fashion and sustainability?

Once complete, project or distribute these Fashion Images to students, and invite them to return to their answers to add new thoughts and ideas.

You could then invite students to share their answers with the class.

Note: Information about the images -

• Information about Image 1: In the case of many fast fashion brands, the people making the clothes work long hours with very little pay often not enough to support themselves and their families. Unable to find better-paid work, workers in these conditions are often trapped in a cycle of poverty which can be compared to slavery. (Image source: Huffington Post)
• Information about Image 2: For people in countries like Australia, shopping is seen as a fun activity or hobby; in the case of fast fashion the aim is to get fashionable clothes to shoppers quickly and cheaply.
• Information about Image 3: The production of many clothes has serious environmental consequences. In this image, fabric dye from a factory has leaked into a river causing wide-spread purple pollution. In addition to pollution, other environmental impacts from the production of clothes include the depletion of non-renewable resources, greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of massive quantities of energy, chemicals and water. (Image source: Greenpeace)
• Information about Image 4: This is an image of a 'sweatshop': this is a workplace that has very poor working conditions that may be difficult, dangerous, climatically challenged (very hot or very cold) or underpaid.
• Information about Image 5: As fast fashion items are designed to be worn for only a short time they go out of fashion or fall apart. As they are made from cheap fabrics there is little or no chance for them to be reused or recycled and so they end up in landfill.

Step 4.

Students will now investigate some fast fashion facts. Students can work in pairs to conduct research into recent news articles about fast fashion and sustainability. You could direct students to find their own articles or use the ones below:

Depending on age, ability or time you could increase the number of articles students have to read and analyse.

War On Waste: It’s time to step off the fashion trend-mill (https://about.abc.net.au/war-on-waste-its-time-to-step-off-the-fashion-trend-mill/)
Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc (https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/recycling-and-waste-minimisation/fast-fashion-quick-cause-environmental-havoc)
It’s time to care about what you wear (https://stand.uow.edu.au/fast-fashion-crisis/)
Fast fashion: Seventy five per cent of Australians tossing clothing in the bin (https://www.smh.com.au/national/fast-fashion-seventy-five-per-cent-of-australians-tossing-clothing-in-the-bin-20171205-gzzbas.html)
The true cost of fast fashion (https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/true-cost-fast-fashion)
Fast fashion lies: Will they really change their ways in a climate crisis? (https://theconversation.com/fast-fashion-lies-will-they-really-change-their-ways-in-a-climate-crisis-121033)

For each article they read students should complete the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Article details (headline, date published, source)
Summarise this article in 30 words
What did you find interesting about this article?
What did you find challenging?
What questions do you have about this article?

Once students have read and analysed all their articles, they should continue working in their pairs to discuss and make notes in response to the following question/s (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Based on the information presented in these articles, what challenges does fast fashion pose for sustainability?

Optional differentiation:

Year 7 - Why do we have fast fashion? What consumer needs do you think businesses are responding to?
Year 8 - Why do we have fast fashion? What opportunities in the market do you think businesses are responding to?
Year 9 - What do you think is the relationship between fast fashion and ‘competitive advantage’?
Year 10 - What factors might influence a consumer to avoid fast fashion purchases?

Step 5.

Invite each pair to briefly share what they found out about fast fashion from the articles they reviewed. You could do this by creating a table on the board with three columns. Add the heading ‘Environment’ to one column, ‘People’ to another column, and ‘Economics’ to the final column. Students could suggest points to add to each column or come up to the board to add them to the table themselves.

You could also invite students to share any responses they had to the Differentiation questions.

Step 6.

For more information about fast fashion, consider watching one or all of the following clips. View on iTunes or Enhance TV:

Clip 1: Deals with the waste associated with throwing out clothes

Episode 3, Australia - 2:00 to 5:38

Clip 2: Deals with some of the environmental costs of fashion

Episode 3, Australia - 5:38 to 7:24

Clip 3: Meets some fast fashion shoppers to talk about why they shop and how much they buy and introduces the shoppers to some of the impacts of fast fashion

Episode 3, Australia - 7:25 to 12:45

Once complete, invite students to reflect on these clips with the following questions:

What are these clips about?
What new information about fast fashion did you get from these clips?
What did you find interesting about these clips?
What did you find challenging? What questions do you have?

Part B: The Obsolescence Of Fashion

Step 1.

Write the following two terms on the board:

Planned obsolescence
Perceived obsolescence

Invite students to suggest what they already know about these terms. Explain that it’s fine if they don’t know anything; they will now watch a clip that helps to describe these terms. As they watch, invite students to record anything they find interesting or important:

The Truth About Planned Obsolescence (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z1XYM7bC4k)

Once complete, engage students in a class discussion around this clip using the following questions (use the suggested answers to clarify any points):

What was this clip about?
What is planned obsolescence?
Suggested answer: Planned obsolescence is a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts and the use of non-durable materials. Essentially, it refers to products that are designed and built to fail; they could be designed to be unusable after a certain period of time due to breaking or wearing out, being unable to accommodate software updates, and being unable to allow for battery changes or part replacements.
What is an example of planned obsolescence?
Suggested answer: Examples of planned obsolescence include phones that are designed to experience performance issues because of software updates, lightbulbs with a lifespan that is deliberately limited or stockings that ladder easily. All of these ‘design flaws’ are designed to drive you to buy new products when instead these design flaws could be addressed easily.
What is perceived obsolescence?
Suggested answer: Perceived obsolescence is where clever marketing that convinces you your existing product is no longer useful or ‘cool’ and that you need to upgrade despite the product working perfectly.
What is an example of perceived obsolescence?
Suggested answer: Just about any gadget!

Step 2.

Now break students into small groups or pairs. Each group is to explore the topics of planned and perceived obsolescence in the context of fast fashion. They will need to:

Explain what these terms mean in their own words
Describe how they relate to fast fashion using examples
Describe the relationship between planned and perceived obsolescence and sustainability
Produce a communication piece that creatively demonstrates their findings.

Differentiation: In addition, students need to respond to the following questions based on their year level -

Year 7:
- In the context of fast fashion, do you think planned and perceived obsolescence is driven by producers or by consumers? Explain your answer.
- What actions can consumers take to avoid the impacts of fast fashion? What might be the consequences of these actions on businesses?
Year 8:
- Why do we have planned and perceived obsolescence? What opportunities in the market do you think businesses are responding to?
- If the government were to introduce legislation to end planned obsolescence in the fashion industry, what might be some consequences for businesses?
Year 9 -
- What do you think is the relationship between planned and perceived obsolescence and ‘competitive advantage’?
- What do you think might be the intended and unintended consequences of a practice like planned or perceived obsolescence in the context of fast fashion? What could be done to address these consequences?
Year 10 -
- What ethical challenges do you see in using planned and perceived obsolescence as a business strategy?
- What do you think might be the intended and unintended consequences of a practice like planned or perceived obsolescence in the context of fast fashion? What could be done to address these consequences?

Students may need to conduct research online to support their communication pieces. Remind them of the Online Search Strategies when conducting online research.

You could provide students with the Communication Piece Assessment Rubric to ensure students understand what is expected of them. You can also use this to assess student work.

Step 3.

Allow students time to complete their communication pieces.

Students can then share their work with the class. You could use a gallery walk method to share the work:

Reflection

Invite students to return to the questions they answered in Part A, Step 3.

How might fast fashion impact our environment?
Can you think of any issues relating to people and fast fashion?
What might be the relationship between economics and fast fashion?
What other thoughts do you have about fast fashion and sustainability?
What questions do you have about fast fashion and sustainability?

Ask students to reflect on these questions and their initial answers by responding to the following question (also available on the Student Worksheet):

How has your thinking about fast fashion and your relationship to fast fashion changed during the course of this lesson?
What new thoughts or ideas have you taken from this lesson?
What questions do you still have about the topics addressed in this lesson?

Take It Further

1. If you have watched any of the earlier clips from War On Waste about the shoppers, you could watch the follow-up clips that set the shoppers a fast fashion challenge and follows the success in meeting this challenge:

Clip 1:

Episode 3, Australia - 30:15 to 32:26

Clip 2:

Episode 3, Australia - 36:35 to 41:38

2. If you are planning on completing the follow-up social action lesson, War On Waste – Taking Action For Waste – Years 7-10, you can use learnings from this lesson to develop a plan for waste at your school.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

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War On Waste - Finding Out about Fast Fashion

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