Henrico
How We Share The Planet:
Recycled Materials Fashion Show
Henrico Learner Profile (HLP) 6C Focus
Grade Level
IB Spanish
SOL/Standard
6.IH Converse on a variety of familiar and concrete researched topics.
9.IL Compare products and practices related to everyday life and personal interests or studies to help understand perspectives of native and other cultures.
11.IL Inform on, describe, and explain familiar and everyday topics
13.IH State a viewpoint with supporting evidence on a variety of familiar and personal studies topics from native and other cultures.
16.2.IH Organize information in a cohesive format and explain or clarify as needed by the audience.
16.4.IH Increase audience interest via elaboration, style, technology or visuals.
Learning Experience
IBDP Spanish 5 and 6 students completed a unit on the importance of caring for the environment and combating a variety of environmental issues. We discussed the importance of reducing consumption, recycling as often as possible, and reusing materials in creative ways. We also discussed the huge impact the fashion industry has on the environment, from high levels of contamination in the air and water to literal mountains of clothing waste in the Atacama Desert in Chile. In order to combine these two ideas, students were asked to put together a Recycled Materials Fashion Show. This was a unique learning experience because students worked in groups to create a piece of clothing or an accessory made entirely out of recyclable materials. Groups brought a wide variety of recyclable materials from home, such as cardboard, plastic bottles, empty shopping bags, magazines, newspapers, scraps of old cloth, and more, then used these materials in their designs. Afterward, each group had to flaunt their creation on the runway, then explain to the class what materials they used and why they used them. This activity encouraged students to be global citizens, communicators, collaborators, and creative thinkers in order to work together to create a highly creative product.
What did the student(s) learn about this experience:
"While preparing for the fashion show, my group had a skirt in mind. A lot of work was put into trying to get the size and proportions right. We also made a hat! Making the hat was a very fun but long process, but it was worth it because of how good it looked. This project was a great learning experience for me because although I had recycled and reduced items from previous projects, it was a completely different experience making something from scratch and creating something from seemingly useless items. It was able to connect to the unit about the environment and I hope to do similar projects in the future!" - Ayisha
What did the teacher enjoy about this experience:
"The original idea for this project was actually generated using ChatGPT, which I have found has been a fascinating tool to use as a starting point in creating creative and meaningful lesson and project ideas for my classes. Watching my students work on the project was truly a delight. Students were pushed to bring their own materials – no materials were provided by me – and they had to work together to problem solve and pivot their ideas if they came across any obstacles while creating their article of clothing. I challenged students to think outside the box, collaborate and create something spectacular. The final element was the fashion show itself, and students pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones to present and parade their creations! It was a rewarding experience for me to see my students use their skills as global citizens to raise awareness about the environment and what we can do to make a positive impact on the earth. " - Sra. Kuzemchak
Additional Pictures, Media & Artifacts
Fashion Show 3 IMG_8059.MOVFashion Show 2 IMG_8012.MOVFashion Show 1 IMG_8030.MOV