Lesson: Eco-Fashion Designer

Ask students to identify a popular fashion item. Do they think it will still be in style next year? What happens to clothing that goes out of style? (e.g., thrown away, donated, turned into a rag, etc.) Share the “Style Statistics” skills sheet with students. Examine the infographic together. After students answer the questions, ask: Why is it unsustainable to discard usable clothing? What can be done about it? Record students’ responses.

Watch the video “Fashion Victims.” Have students complete the “What I Watched” graphic organizer. Then discuss what they learned about the fashion industry. What do they think can be done to minimize these harmful effects of the fashion industry? Tell students that they are going to learn about a teen who started a business to address some of these problems.

Open the online magazine view of the article and read the introduction aloud. Then ask: What inspired Maya Penn to start her own business? Read the rest of the article aloud. Play the “Taking Care of Business” video. Ask: What actions did Maya take to have a positive effect on others? You could discuss whether students have ideas for ways they could have a positive impact on people and the planet.

Distribute the “Design Your Own Eco-Fashion” skills sheet. Have students follow the steps on the skills sheet to plan and sketch their own design. Optional: Explain that students can revise their eco-friendly design for a contest with a prize of a scarf made by Maya Penn and a copy of her autographed book. Students will have to draw their design and describe their design process as part of the entry submitted for them. Note: As the teacher, you (or the student’s parent/guardian) will have to submit student entries to ScienceWorldContest@ scholastic.com. (Full details can be found in the “Eco-Fashion Design Contest Entry Form.”)

Instruct students to complete the article’s “Check for Understanding.” Then have them complete the Learning Journey to brainstorm ways they could help their community.

⇨ SEL: This lesson plan contains social-emotional learning (SEL) support related to social awareness.

⇨ VIDEO EXTRA: Learn how Maya Penn created an eco-friendly fashion business.