Teach-Primary-Issue-19.3

• What environmental problems are created by fast fashion? • Can you suggest an alternative solution to the problem of over-consumerism? • How would you encourage people to be more sustainable with their fashion choices? mixed with baking soda • Purple from blueberries • Brown from used tea bags and old filter coffee granules To turn them into a dye, place your chopped vegetable or fruit into a saucepan and cover with water. Use twice the amount of water to the amount of fruit or vegetable. Heat to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Let the water cool to room temperature and strain into a container. You will likely want to do this part yourself, perhaps separating this lesson into two halves and preparing the dye in between. 3 | REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Next, to focus on the importance of reusing materials, ask the children to things that they notice. They can also pick up items such as leaves and berries (remind them never to eat any!). Back in the classroom, bring these items and their sketches to life through collages, experimenting with colour and texture from different sources. For example, try making different coloured paints with fruit and vegetables. Children can also bring in items from home: • Red from beetroot and red berries • Orange and yellow from onion skins, turmeric, and lemons • Green from spinach and leafy greens (if you wear gloves to pick and handle them, stinging nettles make a nice bright green!) • Blue from red cabbage • Link to writing by creating ‘A day in the life of…’ piece that explores people who are working in the fashion industry and the issues they face. Examples can include: a factory worker/cotton picker/ seamstress/model. • You can also explore persuasive writing through letters to governments and fashion brands, asking them not to use cheap labour and to demand better workers’ rights and conditions. • Turn the upcycling and pre-loved clothing tasks into a competition and make links with the maths curriculum by getting the children to cost up the clothing they could buy from a charity shop or any recycled materials they’ve used (e.g. the cost of a crisp packet). The cheapest costume wins! EXTENDING THE LESSON design an up-cycled white t-shirt. Record their design sketches and label the materials and colours they want to use. Use the handmade dye to tie-dye a plain t-shirt, exploring how to create tie-dye effects by using string to create the shapes on the fabric. Each child can do their own shirt, or you can create one as a class, depending on what works best for you. Encourage pupils to explore recycled materials to decorate and embellish their t-shirts further. Examples could include constructing paper flowers, using crisp packets folded into fans, or incorporating old newspapers and magazines to create ruffles or motifs. You can build upon upcycling clothes by organising a class trip to the charity shops in the local area. Discuss with the class the boom in pre-loved fashion and how it helps the environment. Explain to children that they will stage a ‘green fashion runway’ using the clothes they have made and upcycled, and clothes they might have that have come from charity shops. You could stage the show in an assembly, or sell tickets to help raise money for a cause or charity the children are passionate about. Discuss the different roles and responsibilities that come with staging a fashion show to ensure everyone has a part to play (e.g. models, organisers, designers, set engineers, etc). Emily Azouelos is an experienced primary teacher and educational content creator. “Teach children about everything frommicroplastics to the science of design” USEFUL QUESTIONS www.teachwire.net | 79