HEART Humane Education: What Are We Wearing? (Gr. 6-8)

Students are challenged to consider how responsible they are for the impact of their consumer choices. They will explore the impact their clothing choices have on others, specifically animals. They will imagine that they are co-owners of a clothing store and present a “material brief ” to their “colleagues” about the way animals are raised for clothing products, such as fur and leather. As a group, they will consider the ethical and environmental implications related to selling the various materials. They will decide if they want to sell items made of these materials at their store.

Students will start by thinking about what it means to take responsibility for their actions. They will participate in the Standing on the Line activity where they are given a series of statements and challenged to decide to what extent they agree or disagree with each one. Then, the concept of responsibility will be connected to consumer choices related to fashion. Students will read one of four handouts describing positive and negative aspects related to clothing materials made of animals. Working in small groups, they will teach their peers about their respective topics. Students will then engage in a role play as store co-owners who need to reach consensus about which clothing materials their store will or will not sell. Each group will present and explain the business decisions they have made. Finally, students will connect the role-play activity to their own behaviors and consider what their level of responsibility is, if any, for the consumer choices they make.