{Strand C: Curriculum}
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
C1. Clothing for Specialized Markets: demonstrate an understanding of the needs of specialized markets with regard to fashion/clothing;
C2. Global Textile Production: demonstrate an understanding of global textile production and its social and environmental impact;
C3. Globalization and Social Responsibility: demonstrate an understanding of the impact of globalization on the fashion industry and of strategies for reducing the negative impact of the industry.
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
C1. Clothing for Specialized Markets
By the end of this course, students will:
C1.1 identify specialized fashion/clothing markets (e.g., infants, pregnant women, children, older adults, religious or faith groups, people with disabilities, athletes), and explain how and why each constitutes a separate market
Teacher prompts: “Why has fashion for specialized markets become more prominent today?” “What societal factors contribute to the need to offer clothing for specialized markets?” “What sorts of fashion items are manufactured for companion and working animals? Why do you think there is an increasing market for ‘fashion’ for pets?” “What specialized fashion needs are associated with religious/faith groups? Where would members of these groups purchase these items?”
C1.2 describe fabrics used in, and innovations and modifications applied when creating, gar ments for specialized markets (e.g., hook-and loop tape, magnetic closures, adjustable waistbands and hemlines, large arm openings; durable, soft, windproof, waterproof, low-resistance, breathable, moisture-wicking, and flame-retardant fabrics), and explain their functions
Teacher prompts: “What are the advantages of hook-and-loop tape over buttons, zippers, or laces? Which markets might find such tape particularly beneficial? Why?” “In what ways do the garment requirements for a downhill skier differ from those for a swimmer? In what ways are they the same?”
C2. Global Textile Production
By the end of this course, students will:
C2.1 identify countries associated with the pro duction of specific textiles (e.g., silk in China; cotton in Egypt, the United States, and India; wool in Scotland; acrylic fabric in Mexico; synthetic and non-woven fabrics in Canada), and explain why those countries are major textile producers
Teacher prompts: “Why is China a global leader in the production of silk?” “What are the main fabrics produced in Canada? What factors account for Canada’s role in the production of these textiles?”
C2.2 describe the basic processes involved in textile production (e.g., with reference to the pro duction of fibre, thread, yarn, fabric; differences in processes for knitted, woven, and non-woven fabrics; dying, printing, and finishing processes)
Teacher prompts: “What processes are followed to generate thread from fibre? What additional processes are involved to create finished fabric?” “What are some dyeing processes?”
C2.3 analyse the social and environmental impact of textile production and disposal (e.g., the social impact related to workers’ health issues or child labour; the environmental impact of the irrigation of and use of pesticides on cotton, the production process for petroleum-based textiles, the use of various dyes and finishes, the disposal of non-biodegradable textiles, the leaching of finishes from fabric disposed of in landfill)
Teacher prompts: “How are employees affected by the working conditions in textile manufacturing?” “What environmental issues are associated with different stages in the life cycle of a synthetic fabric such as polyester? In what ways are these different from the issues associated with a natural fabric such as cotton or silk?”
C3. Globalization and Social Responsibility
By the end of this course, students will:
C3.1 demonstrate an understanding of concepts related to the globalization of the fashion industry (e.g., imports, exports, offshore and domestic production, sourcing, unions, trade agreements, maquiladoras, sweatshops)
C3.2 demonstrate an understanding of legislation and agreements relating to the fashion industry (e.g., the Textile Labelling Act, the Stuffed Articles Act as it pertains to insulated garments, provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA])
Teacher prompts: “Why has legislation been developed to regulate the fashion industry? Why is knowledge of such legislation useful for consumers and producers?” “To which garments does the Textile Labelling Act not apply?”
C3.3 analyse the impact of globalization on the fashion industry (e.g., the availability of inexpensive clothes; the loss of union jobs in Canada as a result of offshore production; child labour; poor wages and working conditions in sweatshops and maquilas; displacement of local craftspeople as a result of mass-produced fabric and garments)
Teacher prompts: “How does globalization contribute to the exploitation of workers in garment factories?” “How has globalization affected garment manufacturing in Canada?”
C3.4 describe strategies that consumers can adopt to make socially responsible fashion choices (e.g., buying less, buying sweatshop-free clothing, buying fabrics that are sustainable, engaging in letter- writing campaigns or boycotts against unethical practices or companies, creating fashion items from recycled materials, buying second-hand clothing, washing clothing less frequently)
Teacher prompts: “Where are your clothes made? What are the conditions in garment fac tories in those countries?” “What is a ‘buycott’? If you were to organize a buycott, how would you determine which apparel companies to support?” “What is fair-trade clothing? What are the personal and social costs and benefits
of buying fair-trade clothing?”
C3.5 explain strategies used by the fashionindustry to reduce its environmental impact (e.g., reducing waste during the manufacturing process; reducing and/or eliminating pesticide use on cotton and other crops; using natural dyes such as indigo, cutch, and weld whenever possible; reducing water use and water pollution during production)
Teacher prompts: “How is the fashion industry using sustainable and recycled materials?” “How can ‘upcycling’ reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry? How successful are garment manufacturers who specialize in upcycling?” “What are the environmental benefits of blending hemp with cotton or silk in fabric manufacturing?”
