The students explore the water footprint of fashion items.
The intention is to highlight the link between clothing choices, water use, and nature preservation.
Explain that clothing has a hidden “water footprint.” Give examples: a cotton T-shirt uses ~2,700 litres, jeans ~7,500 litres. This footprint is a result of the vast amounts of freshwater consumed and polluted in textile production, from cotton cultivation and textile dyeing to the washing of synthetic fibers leading to microplastics in the water. This water use contributes significantly to water scarcity, water pollution, and environmental degradation globally.
Cut out the Fashion and the water we wear, so that there are 6 individual cards with the name of the garments, and 6 individual cards with liter estimations. Make groups using the Fashion and the water we wear, and hand out these 12 cards per group. Ask groups to rank the garments from lowest to highest water usage using the Fashion and the water we wear. Let them connect the garment to the correct amount of liters.
Reveal the correct answers to the students. Ask them what surprised them most.
Students will now be motivated to reflect on the impacts of clothing production and the respective water usage. Hand out one Fashion and the water we wear per group. Let groups reflect on these questions using the Fashion and the water we wear.
Students present their reflections using the Fashion and the water we wear.
Didactic tips
- Possibly, allow students to do some research on the internet during step 3.
- Eventually, you could let students design a visual campaign on: ”protect water, choose fashion wisely”. They can make a powerpoint, or a poster that can be hung in the school halls.
- If possible, connect with local water issues (e.g. rivers, lakes, drought). Extend by adding a home task: check labels and trace where clothes were made.