Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Define ‘fast fashion’

15 minutes

Find Out: Am I wearing fast fashion?

30+ minutes

Take Action: Knowledge is power

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune In: Define ‘fast fashion’

Step 1

Many students will be familiar with the term ‘fast fashion’ but may not have an accurate understanding of what differentiates fast fashion from sustainable or ethical fashion.

Ask students for their interpretations of the term. You might use a T-chart to record what they think fast fashion is and is not.

Step 2

Create a class definition of the term fast fashion. Your class might include phrases such as:

Cheap clothes
Mass-produced
Manufactured quickly
Meeting trends
Produced overseas
Manufactured cheaply
Low quality
Copied designs
Short-lived.

Step 3

Help students to understand how they can identify a fashion brand as fast fashion. Together create a list of criteria such as:

Many and varied styles that reflect the very latest trends
New styles added to the stock almost daily
Manufactured in overseas countries
Cheap, low-grade materials
Low purchase price
Poor quality materials

Find Out: Am I wearing fast fashion?

Step 1

Facilitate a class discussion about your students' exposure to fast fashion.

Do students follow ‘High street stores’ such as Cotton On/Rubi, Jay Jays, H & M, Zara, Shein, Forever 21, Valley Girl etc. on social media?

What other brands are they familiar with that they suspect would be deemed as fast fashion brands? Are they ‘influenced’ to purchase from these labels?

Do they shop in these or similar stores (online or bricks and mortar).

Ask students to consider where and how these clothes are made and what items might actually cost to produce.

Step 2

Share this video with students:

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

Hold a discussion around this video using the following questions:

What information in this video was surprising, interesting or important?
What did you already know about?
What was new to you?
What questions does this video leave you with?

Take Action: Knowledge is power

Step 1

Students will work in pairs or threes to investigate some of the brands that were named in the class discussion.

Step 2

Discuss some of the websites that offer consumers a rating on various brands (see below). Consider what it is that they are actually measuring and how they do it.

Tips: Good On You is one of the easiest sites to use. This site gives an overview of the rating systems used above.

Step 3

Once students have had some time exploring these sites, hold a class discussion around the following questions:

How do these websites assess whether a brand produces fast fashion?
What criteria do they use?
How do these criteria compare to those created by students earlier in the lesson?

Step 4

Ask students to investigate one of the brands listed earlier in the lesson using the Student Worksheet to guide them.

Reflection

Ask students to reflect on what they have learned during the lesson:

Will they think differently about the clothes they wear or purchase?
What questions have been raised for you that you would like to investigate further?

What is Fast Fashion?

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

Related Professional Learning

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