ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND MORAL SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES

ACTIVITY: WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF DESIGN CHOICES

PURPOSE OF THE ACTIVITY
To encourage students to consider the wider environmental, social/cultural and economic implications of design and technological activity.

SUITABILITY FOR AS AND A2 STUDENTS
It is suitable for both AS and A2, but there is a suggested progression between them.

WHEN TO USE THE ACTIVITY
It could be used as an introductory activity for a product study or as a way of introducing students to the concepts of environmental, social and economic issues for their designing and making units of work.

IS IT FOR GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS?
Usually a small group activity, but suitable to help students ask questions about the sustainability of their own design and making projects.

SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES CONSIDERED
It is intended to help students differentiate between social, economic and environmental issues.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
It helps with any of the criteria where students are asked to show an understanding of social, economic and environmental issues (at AS - F2 and D1; at A2 - F2, D1 and D2).

THE ACTIVITY AND HINTS ON HOW TO USE IT

With AS students:

•	Organise your class into groups of pairs or fours and ask them to choose an artefact or photo from the selection you ’ve organised (link)
•	Within their groups - ask them to consider the following questions.  First impressions of the product:
		What do you like about the product?
		Would you like to use it or own it?
		What do you think it says about anyone who owns the product?   (e.g. would it suggest they are trendy or not?)
•	A closer look: Hand out “Wider considerations for D&T” Encourage students to spend 10-15 minutes considering the questions in relation to their chosen product.
•	It's unlikely that the students will know all the answers - but the main purpose is for them to think about the questions and offer some answers.
•	Ask one person from each group to provide feedback about the product they selected. Second impressions having thought about values:
•	Ask students to think about the product again having considered the social, economic and environmental questions.
		What are the good and bad points about this product?
		What are the most important issues (a) to the manufacturer and (b) to the consumer?

A possible variation would be to make product comparisons.

•	Encourage the students to look at two or three similar products e.g. chocolate bars (one fair-trade, one not), bags (one hand-made, one mass produced), etc.
•	Ask them to compare their analysis of the different products, looking at economic, social and environmental issues.

Students may find it useful to refer to ‘Developing Thinking about Sustainability’ for help in thinking of environmental, social and economic questions.

The other ideas in this section help students to develop this thinking further.

This activity is based on ideas incorporated into ‘Questioning Technology’ in ‘Changing Technology’, published by TIDE.

Wider considerations for D & T

Suggested products related to product design (resistant materials)
•Mobile phone
•CD
•Wind-up radio or torch
•Wooden chair
•Football
•Aluminium drinks can
•Trumpet (or other musical instrument)
•Jewellery made from recycled materials
•Mass-produced plastic jewellery

to food technology
•A ‘Big Mac’
•Pesto sauce for pasta
•Organic pasta
•Fish or meat sold in modified atmosphere packaging
•Fair-traded tea, coffee or chocolate
•Home-made apple pie (from locally sourced, organically grown apples)
•A packet of Pringles
•Alcopops
•Organic dried fruit or spices from Sri Lanka

to textiles technology
•Fair-traded organic, unbleached T-shirt
•Sweatshop made, non-organic, bleached T-shirt
•Plastic carrier bag
•Hessian or calico bag
•Fleece made from recycled PET bottles
•Lycra swimsuit
•Sleeping bag with polyester lining
•Woollen or mainly woollen piece of carpet
•Rayon or other viscose garment

to graphic products
•Styrofoam or other EPS used for modelling
•Card made from recycled sources
•Low wattage lighting used for shop displays
•A blister pack (aluminium foil, PVC covering)
•Polypropylene promotional folder
•Spray adhesive
•Stainless steel scalpel
•Point of sale display
•Computer with a CAD package.

to systems and control
•Mobile phone
•Hand-written letter
•Gas-fired central heating system
•Bicycle