Students place 14 steps in cotton’s journey – from growing it to buying a cotton t-shirt – in a chronological order. They describe the impact on climate, environment and people at each step.
The intention is for students to gain a deeper understanding of the processes involved in the production and transportation of a cotton t-shirt until it is purchased by a consumer.
Using the Brainstorming method, students in groups think of as many steps in the cotton journey that they can, from growing the cotton to buying a t-shirt.
Hand out a set of The Cotton Journey inspiration cards to each group. Students compare their brainstorm with the 14 cards provided. With the Put in Order, students place the 14 maps of cotton’s journey in chronological order.
Hand out an The Cotton Journey to each group. Alternatively, display the poster on a screen.
Students compare their sequence with the 14 steps on the poster. If the two differ, students discuss how it could be that the poster has a different sequence.
Based on the poster, students work in their groups to create a short description of each step in the cotton journey. Additional challenge for the age group 13-15: For each step, they identify the impact on the climate, environment and people. If they need it, they can search for knowledge on the internet.
Based on their description and using the See – Feel – Understand, groups make their predictions about which steps in the cotton journey have the biggest negative impact on climate footprint. Discuss the results plenary.
| Engage | Investigate |