Quest 2 – The clothes we wear
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- Earth School
Let’s Begin…
We are connected to nature in everything we do, right down to the shirts on our backs! Each year, we sell and buy two billion t-shirts globally, making it one of the most common garments in the world. But how and where is the average t-shirt made, and what’s its environmental impact? Angel Chang traces the life cycle of a t-shirt. After the video, continue onto other sections to learn more, interact, act and share.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Before you dive into the rest of this Quest, check out these videos for more info about how your clothing is connected to nature and how your clothing choices can have an impact:
Watch 1: Growing and Harvesting Cotton (Kansas Farm Bureau)
Watch 2: Why Organic Cotton Matters (Prana)
Watch 3: How Your T-Shirt Can Make a Difference (Nat Geo)
Watch 4: What Will People Wear in the Future?
LEARN + INTERACT
Create a travel diary of your favorite piece of clothing. Write a story about the adventures of a cotton seed from the field to your wardrobe. (for all ages)
Calculate your closet by taking a look at the label on your shirt. Where was it made? Try out this great activity from National Geographic to get a better sense of where your clothes come from, how they’re made and what you can do to make the clothing industry less harmful to the planet. (for ages 6-10)
ACT + SHARE
Think about your own clothes – do any of them have holes that could be repaired instead of thrown away? (for all ages)
Make sock puppets! Maybe you have some old socks ready to star in your next play! Ask an adult to help you share a picture of your sock friend using #EarthSchool and don’t forget to tell us their name! (for ages 5-10)
Produce a short video or make a poster to get your friends thinking about the issue of “fast fashion,” the overbuying of clothing and treating it as disposable. Think of a tagline or slogan and create an awareness campaign! (for ages 8-15)
Host an online clothing swap party.You can adopt some of your friend’s clothing and share your loved items with them. David Suzuki Foundation has some tips for getting started, including a free downloadable invitation, just make it digital for now! Share your online swap party finds with us at #EarthSchool. (for ages 10+)
WANT MORE?
Watch: All of your things go on quite a journey before they reach you. Learn more about your belongings with this short video, The Story of Stuff. (for all ages)
Read: Learn about the environmental footprint of a t-shirt in this article from Smithsonian Magazine. (for ages 11+)
Participate: Add your voice to the growing call for a more sustainable fashion future: Fashion Revolution Get Involved (for ages 11+)
Resources for Parents and Educators: Join the Fashion Revolution and discover many ways to engage and inspire the young people in your lives to make our fashion footprint greener. This excellent resource includes PowerPoints and educator guides.
Explore these websites for inspiration on how to make fashion more sustainable: Fashion Takes Action; The United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Kathleen Usher PhD
Watch 1: Growing and Harvesting Cotton (Kansas Farm Bureau)
Watch 2: Why Organic Cotton Matters (Prana)
Watch 3: How Your T-Shirt Can Make a Difference (Nat Geo)
Watch 4: What Will People Wear in the Future?
LEARN + INTERACT
Create a travel diary of your favorite piece of clothing. Write a story about the adventures of a cotton seed from the field to your wardrobe. (for all ages)
Calculate your closet by taking a look at the label on your shirt. Where was it made? Try out this great activity from National Geographic to get a better sense of where your clothes come from, how they’re made and what you can do to make the clothing industry less harmful to the planet. (for ages 6-10)
ACT + SHARE
Think about your own clothes – do any of them have holes that could be repaired instead of thrown away? (for all ages)
Make sock puppets! Maybe you have some old socks ready to star in your next play! Ask an adult to help you share a picture of your sock friend using #EarthSchool and don’t forget to tell us their name! (for ages 5-10)
Produce a short video or make a poster to get your friends thinking about the issue of “fast fashion,” the overbuying of clothing and treating it as disposable. Think of a tagline or slogan and create an awareness campaign! (for ages 8-15)
Host an online clothing swap party.You can adopt some of your friend’s clothing and share your loved items with them. David Suzuki Foundation has some tips for getting started, including a free downloadable invitation, just make it digital for now! Share your online swap party finds with us at #EarthSchool. (for ages 10+)
WANT MORE?
Watch: All of your things go on quite a journey before they reach you. Learn more about your belongings with this short video, The Story of Stuff. (for all ages)
Read: Learn about the environmental footprint of a t-shirt in this article from Smithsonian Magazine. (for ages 11+)
Participate: Add your voice to the growing call for a more sustainable fashion future: Fashion Revolution Get Involved (for ages 11+)
Resources for Parents and Educators: Join the Fashion Revolution and discover many ways to engage and inspire the young people in your lives to make our fashion footprint greener. This excellent resource includes PowerPoints and educator guides.
Explore these websites for inspiration on how to make fashion more sustainable: Fashion Takes Action; The United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Kathleen Usher PhD
We look forward to seeing your Quest in action!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team by using the hashtag #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Stuff and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe – later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team by using the hashtag #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Stuff and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe – later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Create and share a new lesson based on this one.
