Sunday, July 29, 2018

The Price of Fashion: Studying the Garment Industry



Central Theme Question: We buy 80 million pieces of clothing each year. How does buying things, or buying into an image impact the world and ourselves? How does buying clothes we don’t need, impact the environment?

Handouts: A Class/BClass




LESSON 1-2

Learning Question: Why Are We Studying the Fashion Industry? What is ‘Fast Fashion’?
Fast Fashion Social Effects It’s cheaper to buy clothes made from low-cost economies. Developing governments are at the corporations’ mercy because they are under the constant threat of relocation. Wanting to keep the corporation from locating to another poor country, governments will avoid enforcing local labor or environmental laws. Companies profit without any responsibility. but there are problems in their Supply Chain (sweatshops).
LESSON 3-4: Exploitation of Workers
Learning Question: What are some negative consequences of the production of clothes?
Critics of the fashion industry say garment factories are not safe and the workers’ human rights are not guaranteed, and the presence of these corporation keeps people in poverty. Likewise, the majority of garment workers are women who are separated from their children because of long hours and lack of childcare.


There are 40 million garment factory workers, 4 million are in Bangladesh which has 5,000 factories, 85% of these factory garment workers are female. They are paid less than 1-2$ a day, and are beaten if they try to unionize for better working conditions. In the interest of Big Business, owners/managers will “cut corners” in safety conditions which has had some horrible effects.

 Case Studies:
Compare the worker's movement and the minimum wage of both countries. What can we conclude?
  1. Rana Plaza Disaster: 931 people dead, and management was aware of the workers’ safety concerns
  2. 2014 Labor Unrest and Police Violence in Phnom Penh, Cambodia


B.  Consumerism and Unhappiness
LESSON 5a.  Consumerism and Unhappiness
Lesson Question: What are some negative social consequences for consumers?
LESSON 5b-6 Being Fashionable Can be Unhealthy High heels cause arthritis and damaged knees (A/B)
Group Activity: Media Literacy and Decoding Advertisments' Unhealthy Body Image


LESSON 9: BODY IMAGE  France fights anorexia – level 1

REVIEW/ TEST

II. Impact on Environment

Landfills; Clothes are disposable, or we ship the unwanted clothes to the developing world, destroying their local clothes industry (ie Haiti).


A.Cotton
The land is the factory and cotton is modified (GMO). The company Monsanto has a monopoly on seeds. Their redesigned seed is patented so their plant can take on more of the chemicals, like nitrogen fertilizers, which Monsanto also sells. The poor farmers fall into debt and often commit suicide by drinking their poison. (In India 1 farmer kills themselves every 30 minutes).
These “ecological narcotics” (pesticides, fertilizers) contaminate the soil and drinking water. The side effects for the farmers and their families include birth defects and cancer.
B. Leather
Kripor, India Tannery pollution produces 50 million liters of toxic wastewater daily
Chromium and other “effluents” produce liver cancer and other liver problems.
C. Dyes
Vibrant colors, prints, and fabric finishes are appealing features of fashion, but many of these are achieved with toxic chemicals. Textile dying is the second largest polluter of clean water globally, after agriculture.
D. Polyester
Polyester is the most popular fabric used for fashion. But when polyester garments are washed in washing machines, they shed microfibres that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans. These microfibres are so tiny they easily pass through sewage and wastewater treatment plants into our waterways, but because they are not biodegradable, they are a serious threat to aquatic life. Small creatures like plankton eat the microfibres, which then make their way up the food chain to fish and shellfish eaten by humans.
III. Solutions
The current system of capitalism requires people to be big consumers, to be materialistic. Economist Richard Wolf says that we need to rethink capitalism and improve our economic system. There is nothing democratic or equal about capitalism, which is based on a classist system. The American tradition of Black Friday embodies all that is materialistic and selfish in this kind of mentality.
Part 2: Discussion
Where do you usually buy your clothing? Have you ever purchased clothing from a used clothing store? Why or why not? Is used clothing in fashion in your hometown?

  1. Ethical clothing (Fair Trade Fashion), Reading: Adidas to Make Shoe from Recycled ocean Garbage


 Resources:
https://taiwanmarketresearch.com/2015/10/16/fashion-industry-in-taiwan/
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2018/08/27/2003699274
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2018/08/27/2003699275
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2018/09/23/2003700965
Videos: True Cost

The Stream - The true cost of fashion

Counting the Cost - Bangladesh: The cost of fashion

A solution for a sustainable fashion industry | Fredrik Wikholm | TEDxGöteborg

Fast Fashion’s Effect on People, The Planet, & You

Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price

Made in Bangladesh: Behind the Factory Fire - REWIND, The Machinists

Do we change it? Ethical fashion documentary [English]


Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Social Studies 2018-19

I taught 9th grade Social Studies here a few years ago, I called that class " Peace and Justice."

This year, there will be four themes, all of them dealing with the intersection of economics, gender, justice and personal/environmental well-being. We will discuss who are the stakeholders, the main issues and look at alternatives and solutions. The bulk of the students' readings (like previous years) comes from Breaking News English, News in Levels, Liberty Times Net and Apple Daily. The vocabulary for games and review are here.
  1. The Price of Fashion: What are the socio-economic and environmental impacts of “fast fashion"?
The garment industry is a 3 trillion dollar powerhouse with many negative impacts on society and the environment. It is the most labor-intensive industry on earth employing 40 million garment factory workers, but there is little economic justice for them. This unit looks at problems with human capital and outsourcing in the supply chain, with case studies in Bangladesh and Cambodia, as well as the negative effect of advertisements on consumers. The cultivation of cotton, leather and polyester also damages the environment. Finally, we will look at solutions, which companies embrace consumer consciousness, Fair Trade, and ‘pre-loved clothing’.
  1. Mental Health Issues: What are the social and economic impacts of mental health illnesses and how does local culture contribute?
Mental health is critical to a person’s well-being. Statistically, all of us will experience at least one mental health care crisis, whether it is anxiety or depression or something else. One of the first things to help is to talk about the issues, remove some of the stigmas and know that there are solutions and safety nets in place. Mental Health needs to be integrated into the curriculum and normalized in society the same as talking about nutrition and the health of the body.
  1. Prison Studies: What are some of the issue around incarceration and reintegration in Taiwan and abroad?
The role of prisons is to remove the dangerous person from society, as well as punishment for a crime. Because Taiwan is an island, land space is limited and prisons are becoming overcrowded. Is the Taiwanese Justice system meeting the needs of society? Eventually, most prisoners return home. Former prisoners have special issues regarding reentry into society. What kind of social supports and prison programs are working in Taiwan and other countries? What kinds of human rights abuses are committed in the name of justice? How a civilized society responds to crime and punishment and the role of prisons is an important precedent for both deterring crime, creating a safe society and cultivating democratic principles.


  1. Environmental Justice: What are the impending issues the world is facing in regards to climate change and who are the leading forces?

Climate change will soon be affecting everyone, but right now developing communities are bearing the brunt of these effects by poor health, even death, and displacement. Environmental degradation is far from equal. Tragically, those with the smallest carbon footprint are among the first to feel the effects of climate change. Which groups are most at risk and what are proactive communities, governments and businesses doing to mitigate climate change and develop sustainably? In Taiwan, which communities are fighting environmental injustice right now, and which has had success in the past? How can their examples inspire us to make better lifestyle choices?
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

ESL 2018-2019

For the 200 level classes (8th grade), we finally have a book! We will be using Great Writing (Book 1), which focuses on writing a paragraph while reviewing grammar from last semester.  (I taught 8th grade ESL a couple of years ago, here is my previous course outline.)

 Until their textbook arrives, the A level classes will learn about International Suicide Prevention Day which is September 10th. The B class, who are new students for me, will focus on me getting to know their level and a review of phonics.

 205(B) Class Rules, Never Have I Ever (Game), Phonics and Parts of Speech Review
Reading: The First Day of School
Dialogue: School Items

October: (Unit 1) Basic Sentence Structure
Topics: 
  1. Parts of a Sentence/Punctuation, 
  2. Fragments
  3. The Verb “to Be"
  4. Prepositions (At, On, In)
Writing Output: 
  • Write about a country you visited. 
  • Write about a personally important place.
Topics:

  1. Parts of a Paragraph 
  2. Word Order
  3. Be+ Adj.
  4. Pronouns
  5. Possessive Adj.
Writing Output:

  • Write about an interesting person you know.
  • Describe a hobby or enjoyable activity.

Topics:

  1. Simple Present Tense Statements
  2. There is/There are
  3. Negative Statements
  4. Compound Sentences and connecting words
  5. A/An
Writing Output: 
  • Describe a typical “free day.”
Topics:

  1. Verb to Be
  2. Regular Verbs
  3. Irregular Verbs
  4. Time Phrases
  5. Negatives
  6. Using ‘But’Complex sentences and Time Order
Writing Output:
  • Write about an important person
  • Describe an event or time from your past.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

February: (Unit 5) The Present Progressive
Topics:

  1. Writing From Pictures
  2. Compound  Sentences: And + So
  3. Complex Sentences
  4. Adverbs of Manner
Writing Output:
  • Describe an ongoing activity you are doing at the moment.
March: (Unit 6) The Future Tense
Topics:

  1. Be going to/ Will
  2. Making Predictions
  3. Negative Simple Future Tense
  4. Articles (review)
  5. Sentences and Fragments (review)
Writing Output:
  • Describe something you want to do next year.
April/May: (Unit 7) Writing Complex Sentences with Adjective Clauses

  1. Why sentence variety matters
  2. Adjective Clauses
  3. Common Spelling Problems
  4. Modals to Add Meaning
  5. Review time phrases, fragments, and sentence types

Writing Output:
  • Describe something that is important to you.
May/June (Unit 8) Pulling It All Together

  1. Parts of a Paragraph Review
  2. Verb Tenses Review
  3. Using Articles Review
  4. Combining Sentences with a Connector
  5. Adjective Clauses: Who and That
  6. Expressing an opinion
  7. More Peer Editing Practice
Writing Output:

  • Write about an important invention in history.
  • Write about if you support or oppose smoking in public places.
  • Write a paragraph that states your opinion
SUMMER BREAK!

Summer School: Human Rights



Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Summer Homework




Yes, I will assign homework to my students. Do I think they will do it? Not everyone, but they have the option to expand their world or not. Watching English movies and TV or listening to English music and singing along, is definitely a fun way to improve a second language, and even writing. And remember, summer vacation is about fun.


 
1. Sign up for Spotify on your home computer for free and start listening to music well-known by the rest of the world. By this, I mean Bob Marley (巴布·馬利) and the Beatles (披頭四樂團) at the very minimum. Feel free to explore from there. Check out what I listen to and follow me. If you don't have a computer, listen to Bob Marley and the Beatles on YouTube with the lyrics.

 2. Sign up for a free a one month membership on Netflix 網飛. (Ask your parents first). Watch Stranger Things (怪奇物語) as it's immensely popular all over the world, and also my favorite show at the moment. ST realistically depicts the time during my childhood during the 1980's. The young teenage stars are also the same age as my students. Warning, this show is full of suspense, (not scary), so skittish viewers can watch my next recommendation.

 Another popular show is "Anne with an E" which is based on the book series, "Anne of Green Gables (清秀佳人)." 

 Also, check out any of the documentaries on Netflix. There are many about the subjects I taught in Social Studies, like about Poverty, Genocide, and the Drug War. 


3. Volunteer somewhere.  Check out this list of local NGOs and see how you can help them out.
Happy Summer!
              Cannabis Wonder Drug Documentary (8th Grade Social Studies Unit on Drug War)

 Sources:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-can-film-help-you-teach-or-learn-english
https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijsell/v3-i2/11.pdf
https://app.griffith.edu.au/explore-student-blog/improve-your-english-watch-movies/
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/learn-english-through-songs-music/
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Independence and Bastille Day for ESL

For summer school ESL we will do some cultural readings on the American Independence Day and the French Bastille Day.  This marks a major difference from the focus on grammar in the previous semester. They didn't do so much reading comprehension before, so I'm curious to see how the next two weeks will go. I doubt we will get to the second reading (let alone the writing), although many of the vocabulary words are the same, but I will try. Here is the corresponding handout.

My niece on July 4th, 2018


I. Intro Discussion
Which countries' flags are red, white and blue? What do the colors symbolize?

  • Independence Day
 1.)獨立紀念日 in the US, the official name for the Fourth of July holiday  
2.) 美國獨立紀念日  a day on which a country celebrates being independent from 
foreign rule
  • the 4th of July 美國獨立紀念日（紀念美國於1776年7月4日脫離英國獨立）a national holiday in the US that celebrates the country's independence from Great Britain in 1776
Ex: Fireworks have long been an American tradition on the Fourth of July.七月四日國慶日放煙火是美國人長期以來的傳統。

EX: We met for the first time at the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
the July 4th holiday 美國獨立紀念日假期

  1. Independence Day 獨立紀念日 
  2. independent (adj.)
  3. national pride (phrase) EX: The country's national pride has been damaged by its sporting failures.體育運動方面的失利使這個國家的民族自尊心受到了傷害。
  4. Parade (n.)
  5. Speech (n.)
  6. Display(n.)
  7. Event(n.)
  8. history(n.)
  9. Banner(n.)
  10. Nationwide (adj.)




American Independence Day Reading:

Independence Day in the United States is also known as the Fourth of July. It is a national holiday that commemorates (紀念，緬懷) the Declaration of Independence (美國獨立宣言) on July 4, 1776. This was the day the USA was born (出生) and became independent from Great Britain (大不列顛). The terms “Independence Day” and the “Fourth of July” are a well-known part of the USA’s cultural (與文化有關的)language. People celebrate with national pride. There are fireworks, parades, sporting events and lots more. It is one of the biggest days on America’s holiday calendar (大事記). Politicians (從政者) make speeches celebrating America’s history (歷史) and traditions (傳統). In particular (特別), attention turns to Thomas Jefferson’s speech that declared (公開聲明的) the United States of America as an independent nation (國家).

Independence Day is a red, white and blue affair (事務). The whole of the country displays American flags and banners. There are many festivals (會演，節) that enact (上演；表演) famous events from America’s history. It is also a day when the nation gets outdoors. Picnics and barbecues with family and friends are the most popular ways to celebrate. In the evening, there are thousands of fireworks displays across the country. One of the most popular is the Macy’s department store (百貨公司) show on New York’s East River. This is televised (用電視播放) nationwide by the NBC TV channel. Also in New York, you can witness (目擊) the Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island康尼島. Indeed (的確，實在), American food is of course a big part of the day and millions of hot dogs, burgers and pizzas are eaten.



Extra:
  • Thomas Jefferson's speech
  • Use the Summer ppt and review "Picnic"

III. Bastille Day 巴士底日

+France’s ideals理想: liberty, equality and fraternity 法國的理想：自由，平等和博愛
  • democratic ideals 民主理想
  • We are committed to the ideal of equality. 我們奉行平等原則。






  1. Village (n.)
  2. Tricolor (adj.)
  3. Commemorate (v.)
  4. Prison (n.)
  5. Monarchy (n.)
  6. Occasion (n.)
  7. Supporter (n.)
  8. Signal (v.)
  9. Creation (n.)
  10. republic(n.)




Bastille Day is France’s most important national holiday. It is celebrated on the 14th of July every year. Every city, town and village becomes red, white and blue as everyone hangs out the French tricolor flag. The holiday’s name in French is Fête Nationale, which means “National Celebration". The 14th of July commemorates the storming (突襲；攻佔) of the Bastille on the 14th of July, 1789. The Bastille was a prison that held prisoners who disagreed with the French monarchy. The biggest celebrations are on Paris’ famous Champs-Élysées 香榭丽舍大街. There are parades, military bands and festivities (慶祝活動) during the day, and fireworks displays in the evening. It is a wonderful, happy occasion when French people show their pride (自尊) in their country.



Bastille Day celebrates the most important day in French history. The storming of the Bastille prison marked the beginning of the French Revolution法国大革命. The prison was a symbol (標誌，象徵) of the total (徹底的) power of King Louis the 16th. Most French people were very poor and hated how the monarchy and its supporters were so wealthy. The Bastille only had seven prisoners when Parisians attacked it, but it signaled Louis 16th’s power was no longer absolute (完全的). Parisians (巴黎人的) believed their actions meant they were free. It led to the creation of the first French republic in 1792 and the three French ideals (理想) of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The French national anthem (國歌), La Marseillaise, was written that same year and became official in 1795.
                                            Les Misérables/悲慘世界 (2012)


IV. Comparing: What is similar and what is different about the US and France's independence celebrations?

A. Writing a Comparative Paragraph:
  1. Use a Venn Diagram, then write a paragraph.
  2. Topic Sentence: Tells the main idea
The American Independence Day and France's Bastille day are both important national celebrations.
or
The 4th of July in the US and Bastille Day in France are both important independence celebrations.

3. Detail Sentences: Give examples of similarities and differences
4. Closing Sentence: Summarize the paragraph, or restate the main idea.

V. Discussion: What about Taiwan?
  1. How is Taiwan similar or different compared to the US and France? Use a 3 circle Venn Diagram.
  2. What is considered " national pride" for Taiwanese?
Resources:



Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Summer Theme for ESL



It's that time of the year, summer vacation, graduation, the light at the end of the tunnel after 2 jam-packed semesters. In between grammar units I use their ESL magazines for a change of pace. Their June and July issues have tons of summer related material.

PPT here

I. Dragon Boat

  1. Traditions
  2. Dialogue
II. Outdoors
  1. Camping: Making S'more and Writing Scary Stories
  2. Hiking
  3. Picnic
  4. SUP
  5. At the Beach

III. Summer in Taiwan
  1. Matsu Island and the Blue Tears
  2. Fulong Beach
IV. Graduation Around the World
V. Summer Idioms
  1. Make hay while the sun shines
  2. Ray of Sunshine
  3. A Place in the Sun
VI. Summer Songs (Listening skills, fill in the blanks)
  1. "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Difficult)
  2. "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Promoting Gender Equality in the ESL Classroom


I have made some observations from three years teaching junior high, compared with five years teaching kindy. First, boys far outweigh the composition of my junior high classes. There are just more boys than girls in a private school’s junior high English program. It seemed more equal when they were 4 and 5 years old. However, in my higher level (A classes), the boys and girls are almost 50/50 in number.

Even so, the girls are often much quieter and lack confidence in participating.
It’s easy for a few boys to completely take over the discussion or monopolize the answering
of my questions. But being a feminist and a mother of a daughter
I feel like I am aware or at last trying to improve my awareness of how my
interactions and body language may encourage or discourage the girls’ participation.
At the same time, I value equal discipline between the sexes (I don’t think its ok for
girls to hit boys for example), and no boy has accused me of favoritism or being
biased. Then there’s the whole cultural difference between thousands of years of Chinese Confucianism which is sexist, and modern (Western) feminism. I do believe Taiwanese culture values gender equality just as much, if not more so than American culture.

The research on girls’ social development has shown, that for decades the majority
of girls stop taking risks in early adolescence. For example, they feel uncomfortable
raising their hands, participating in sports and extracurricular activities and stepping into leadership roles, even if they had no problem asserting themselves as younger students. They stop believing in themselves. Even if girls are uncomfortable attracting public classroom attention to themselves, educators still have to find ways to cultivate equal participation and empower girls’ voice.

Good gender equality in the classroom is having good classroom management. Great gender equality in the ESL classroom is not only competent classroom management but the understanding that the English language is sexist and how to unpackage all that. Finally, the school management has to be on board with the necessary changes and perhaps communicate such changes to the parents who might not be up to date with recent findings in education.



3 Factors That Contribute To Gender Inequality In The Classroom
Contributing Factor #1: Teachers Pay More Attention to Boys
Contributing Factor #2: Interactions with Boys are More Public.
Contributing Factor #3: Praise & Criticism Differ Between Boys & Girls.
Ways to Improve Gender Equality in the ESL Classroom
  1. Addressing gender issues head on
  2. More Group Work: Collaborative and task-based learning approaches do promote female production.
  3. Integrate more ICT in language activities: Electronic discussion comprehension enhances all student participation, but it is more gender equitable than the classroom. Girls liked the discussion more than boys because they appreciated having time to think before responding without negative comments from males in the class.
  4. Invite Peer Observation from other teachers
  5. Make a chart of gender interactions and participation
  6. Make a mindful seating chart promoting girls’ participation
  7. Use gender-neutral language
  8. Empowerment also happens outside the class, by getting the girls comfortable and confident in their bodies preferably together like in group sports, and movement (dance, yoga, running). I have seen my own 204 girls dance group directing and leading their class English Play, and it was awesome. 

What The School Can Do:
  1. Schedule in more computer lab time for the ESL classes
  2. Add more physical, movement options for girls, like yoga, tai chi, and weight-lifting
  3. Add more peer observation and meetings for positive feedback
  4. Add more project-based learning
Resources:
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/promoting-gender-equality-with-teaching-strategies/3986846.html

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)