Rana Plaza sweatshop mystery - magpied resources & systems thinking!

I've just done quite a simple but effective piece of work with Grade 7 / Year 8 on the next section of their work on globalization (Geography of my stuff). Last week, they spent a little time researching the Primary brand and finding out about the growth of the company. 

A quick search last night found a free GA card sorting exercise which I used as an activity for the first 20 mins of the lesson.  I produced my own flow category sheet to try to show the interrelationships between the categories as opposed to the traditional sorting into columns approach and had this copied in A3. 

The students then cut up the slips (I don't do this) and sorted out the statements into order before a discussion on links, process and systems.  The students then stuck their slips around each section  ready for the video activity. 

I showed them the first 15 minutes of the Journeyman report below (careful, there are some images of bodies in the rubble). This report gives a visual overview of the cards and a lot of it is shot through the camera phones of those affected (another opportunity to challenge disparity & mobile phone ownership in LIC's).  They also see Mr Rana the day before the disaster dismissing any problem with the structure of the building too! 

rana plaza card sort from the g.A

a3 crib sheet for cards

5 w's rana plaza notes sheet

To develop the video task more fully, you could use www.videonot.es to ask the students to write their own captions. That may be a development for the group next year when I have more time. Once the video clip had finished, the 5W's sheet was then given to the students and using both what they had just watched and the stuck down slips diagram, they quickly completed their case study. 

We had a chat about outsourcing and I gave the group a practical example of how the outsourced company can then sub contract again and again until it become really difficult for the TNC to know exactly where their clothes are being made. 

Next week takes us on to good news Geography and what has/can be done to make clothes in a safer environment and to talk briefly about how the concept of circular economy (to be introduced at IB level) can apply to the clothing industry. 

The quote below is a good one for the students to consider as they are completing the work. 

We are not a number — not only cheap labour and cheap lives. We are human beings like you. Our life is precious like yours, and our dreams are precious too.