REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

What are the REAL costs of what you choose to wear?

By: Michael Lindberg

Active and responsible citizens identify and analyze public problems;

deliberate with other people about how to define and address issues; take
constructive, collaborative action; reflect on their actions; create and sustain
groups; and influence institutions both large and small.

College, Career & Civic Life: C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards

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 REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Compelling Question What are the REAL costs of what you choose to wear?

Disciplinary Theme Disciplinary Skills Standards: SS.9-12.WH.1-3, 5-6, 8, 10-12

Standards Content Theme Standards: SS.9-12.WH. 14, 18, 30, 33, 37, 39-40

Using Bangladesh as a case study, students will explore the global supply chain, costs of
outsourcing, and social and economic impacts on the 2nd largest exporter of garments,
Why Inquire into this
Bangladesh. Finally, the lesson will give insight to how clothing became so inexpensive in the
Topic?
United States. Teenagers are one of the largest consumer groups, the purpose of this lesson is
to get students to apply the social and economic costs of the clothing they choose to purchase.

Supporting Supporting Supporting

Question 1 Question 2 Question 3

Does the garment industry in

What is a typical supply chain for a t-
What’s up with outsourcing? Bangladesh empower or exploit
shirt?
workers?

Featured Sources Featured Sources Featured Sources

F. Article: The True Costs of Your

C. Charts: Data reporting job growth
for inside and outside the United
A. Table: Popular clothing brands
States
B. Video: Planet money makes a t-
D. Article: 5 Smart Reasons to
shirt
Outsource Manufacturing Overseas.
E. Article: Outsourcing Overseas and
its Effect on the U.S. Economy
Cheap Clothes
G. Video: Undercover in
Bangladesh Garment Industry
H. Article: In Bangladesh’s Garment
Trade, Empowerment comes at $20
a week.
I. Article: Industrialization and
Female Empowerment
J. Video: Empowerment in
Bangladesh garment industry

Engaging with Source Materials Engaging with Source Materials Engaging with Source Materials
Using Disciplinary Skills Using Disciplinary Skills Using Disciplinary Skills

Reading
Self-Reflection Data analysis Video viewing
Video viewing Predicting Developing claims/Gathering
Mapping and note taking Reading evidence
Synthesis and discussion Text Annotation Group Collaboration
Articulating claim with Evidence
Participation in SAC

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 REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Summative
Philosophical Chairs – see page 11
Performance Task

A. Choose a brand of clothing you commonly wear or seek out when purchasing clothes.
Research the supply chain for that brand. Include how workers are treated and wages
they are paid. Determine whether the article of clothing empowers or exploits the
individuals who produce it. Why will you or why won’t you continue to wear the brand
in the future?
B. Identify a clothing brand which is made in the U.S. Research the supply chain for the
Taking Informed
Action brand, why the company produces its’ garment domestically and what the cost
difference is between the brand and foreign made garments similar to it. Should
consumers feel obligated to buy domestically made clothing?
C. Create a social media campaign to inform people about the realities of the global
garment industry. Conduct research, find personal testimonials, charts, videos, etc. to
inform about the exploitation or empowerment of the international garment trade.

In the pages that follow, each supporting question will be accompanied by source material, questions, and tasks
that provide students opportunity to engage with the content and interact with one another to make meaning and
form an answer to the question. Some supporting questions may require only a single source of inquiry, while
others may require multiple sources and perspectives.

Following an inquiry into the supporting questions, students’ knowledge, skills and disciplinary thinking will be
assessed with a performance task. Students will also be provided opportunities to take informed civic action.
Background texts as well as extension texts are highlighted above and offer opportunities for a class or individual
students to learn more deeply about the focus of this inquiry.

The

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Question 1, Source A

Compelling Question Supporting Question

What are the REAL costs of what you choose to What is a typical supply chain for a t-shirt?
wear?
Engaging with the Source Instructions

(Hook Activity) Pass out handout of various clothing manufactures or retailers. Have students go through
the prompts and share their thoughts.

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Questions 1, Source B
Compelling Question Supporting Question
What are the REAL costs of what you choose What is a typical supply chain for a t-shirt?
to wear?
Engaging with the Source Instructions
1. Preview video note taker. They will be shading in locations mentioned during the video
as well as taking any important notes in the text boxes.
2. Introduce the Video: Let them know it was produced by NPR’s Planet Money
3. Show the video: Periodically stop to discuss and allow time to finish notes.
4. Answer and discuss thought questions. Share out in pairs and then whole group. Make
sure to define outsourcing: obtain (goods or a service) from an outside or foreign
supplier, especially in place of an internal source.

Source Citation: Video Planet Money Make a T-shirt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2Zod7Sd3rQ&index=1&list=PLp-
wXwmbv3z8aAJrhyttiqPMiKy0WVJym

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Question 2, Source C
Compelling Question Supporting Question
What are the REAL costs of what you choose What is up with outsourcing?
to wear?
Engaging with the Source Instructions
1. Introduce the charts: look at sources, dates, and titles to practice the important skill of
sourcing.
2. In pairs, take time to study the charts, create questions and identify trends. Here is a
power point so the graphs can be accessed in color.
3. Share questions and trends as a whole class

Source Citations:
Source C: Where the Jobs are going, Commerce Department
Apparel Manufacturing Jobs: Los Angeles vs. U.S. QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW
Employees

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Question 2, Source D
Compelling Question Supporting Question
What are the REAL costs of what you choose What is up with outsourcing?
to wear?
Engaging with the Source Instructions
1. Introduce prediction organizer and prediction question: Why do companies embrace
global supply chains?
2. Students take time to create their own predictions.
3. Share out predictions.
4. Reading: Have students read, 5 Smart Reasons to Outsource Manufacturing Overseas.
If they see one of their predictions was correct have them thoroughly explain why, if
one of their predictions was not mention then thoroughly explain a correct reason.

Source D: Borren, Tricia. “5 Smart Reasons to Outsource Manufacturing Overseas.” YFS

Magazine February 15 2014.

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Question 2, Source E
Compelling Question Supporting Question
What are the REAL costs of what you choose What is up with outsourcing?
to wear?
Engaging with the Source Instructions
1. Discussion: Ask students, is outsourcing good or bad for the U.S. and global
economies?
2. Reading and annotation: Outsourcing Overseas and its Effect on the U.S. Economy.
Complete the T-chart.
3. Small group discussion with the same question: is outsourcing good or bad for the U.S.
and global economies?

Source E: Correnti, Madison. “Outsourcing Overseas and its Effect on the US Economy”.
NCBFAA (National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America)

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

Question 3, Sources F,G,H,I,J

Compelling Question Supporting Question
What are the REAL costs of what you choose Does the garment industry in Bangladesh
to wear? empower or exploit their workers?
Engaging with the Source Instructions
1. Prepare and facilitate a Structured Academic Controversy (instructions found in this
booklet).
2. Reading the documents
Study Your Side of the Controversy
1. Individually: Read the articles (empower) (exploit) that support your side of
the argument as well as watch youtube link (in the source citation box)
supporting their side
2. Annotate:
- Star Words whose meaning is unclear to you
- Underline claims within each article that support your position
- Circle evidence (words and phrases) that support each claim
In Pairs: share preliminary ideas to defend your side of the controversy.

3. 2 sides meet “whole group” collaborate

1. EXPLOIT meet on one side of the class to share supporting claims and
evidence for why workers are taken advantage of in the Bangladesh garment
industry. This allows for support and provides multiple perspectives on the
same issue.
2. EMPOWERED meet on the other side of the class to share supporting claims
and evidence for why workers are uplifted in the Bangladesh garment
industry. This allows for support and provides multiple perspectives on the
same issue.
3. There is open discussion on both sides of the classroom for 5 minutes. Take
notes on your reading as new claims and evidence are presented to you.
4. Students pair up to write down their arguments on the SAC handout (5
minutes)
4. Engage in the structured Academic Controversy
30 sec: individuals introduce themselves and shake hands.
90 sec: EXPLOIT shares their position (claims, evidence, and reasoning)
1 min: EMPOWER shares back what they learned and asks clarifying questions as
needed
1 min: Quite time while EMPOWER finished notes on their handout
90 sec: EMPOWER shares their position (claims, evidence, and reasoning)
1 min: EXPLOIT shares back what they learned and asks clarifying questions as
needed
1 min: Quiet time while EXPLOIT finished notes on their handout
5 min: Group of 4 openly discusses the issue and tries to find some common ground
or consensus on the issue and prepares to share common ground to whole class.
These points are listed in the note taker.
4 min: Whole group reflection: What are points of consensus and what questions
does the group have?
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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

4 min: Individual process reflection: Reflect on your participation in the discussion.

What did you do well? What do you need to improve upon?

Source Citation
G. Parry, Simon. “The true cost of your cheap clothes: slave wages for Bangaldesh factory
workers.” South China Morning Post. June 11, 2016.
H. Video: Undercover in Bangladesh garment industry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1mvcFuiTts
I. Evans, Margaret. “In Bangladesh’s garment trade, empowerment comes at $20 a week.”
CBC NEWS. June 19, 2013.
J. Sebastio, Filippo. “Industrialisation and Female Empowerment: Evidence from the
Bangladeshi Garment Sectory.” Social Europe. November 11, 2014.
Video: Empowerment in Bangladesh garment industry.

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REAL COST OF CLOTHES: AN INQUIRY DESIGN GRADE LEVEL: 10

SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

Compelling Question and Supporting Questions for Philosophical Charis
What are the REAL cost of what you choose to wear?
 As consumers, to what extent should we praise or criticize our global economy?
 Should the United States feel obligated to bring back domestic manufacturing jobs?
 Are current supply chains sustainable? Are there better alternatives?
 Which is more important to you, products made in the United States or products
which provide consumers the most value?
 Speculate on what will happen to U.S. business or education practices if
manufacturing jobs continue to leave the country.
 Is it important to know who and how the products we buy are produced?

Philosophical Chairs
Procedure:
 Students read, prior to coming to class, a newspaper article, short story, essay or
literary selection, taking notes as they read; bring those notes to class.
 After reading and taking notes students are presented with a second or third level
question that will elicit thought and discussion. Teacher can provide question for
first few discussions and may allow students to collaborate to create future
questions if so desired.
 The chairs are then placed in a horseshoe seating arrangement, with the two ends
longer than the back.
 Students are told they will argue the merits of the questions and that their choice of
seat during the discussion will illustrate their position. If they believe the answer
to the question is “yes”, they should sit on the right, if they believe the answer to
the question is “no”, they should sit on the left, and, if they are “undecided”, they
should sit at the back of the horseshoe. They will have the opportunity to move as
their minds change.
 Choose a student moderator whose job is to see that everyone gets a chance to
speak
 To gain full credit, a student must speak at least two times.

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