Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Gilyeat and I'm going to be your geography teacher for today.

Today's lesson, we are looking at the globalisation of jeans, which is part of the globalisation topic.

It's lesson two.

So let's get going.

We've got loads of interesting things to learn about.

So our lesson outcome for today is that you can explain how various countries contribute to the production of one single product.

We've got three keywords for today's lesson.

So globalisation is the process of the world becoming more interconnected.

A component is a part or element of a larger item.

And trade is the buying and selling of goods and services between people, companies, and countries.

Now, these keywords will be highlighted in bold throughout the lesson.

So if you need to refer back to them at any time, that's absolutely fine.

We've got two learning cycles.

So first of all, we're gonna look at where do our jeans actually come from, and then we're gonna think about whether our jeans are sustainable or not, and how we can potentially make jean production more sustainable.

So let's get going with the first learning cycle.

Where do our jeans come from? So jeans were first manufactured in the 18th century and were originally designed as workwear for labourers and miners in the USA.

But now, as you'll be aware, that most jeans are seen as a staple item in wardrobes across the world.

So I'm guessing that you've got a pair of jeans, you might not do, but maybe have a quick chat with your partner.

How many pairs of jeans have you got and what are they like? Jeans also tell us a story of globalisation.

A pair of jeans may include components sourced from multiple countries, manufactured in another, sold worldwide, and later sold secondhand on a different continent.

Every pair of jeans might have travelled thousands of miles before you even wear them.

And if you have potentially got rid of a pair of jeans that you used to wear but that you don't use anymore, they might have travelled another 1,000 miles to another continent to be sold as secondhand.

I think that's pretty cool.

So first of all, let's think about what different components go into a pair of jeans.

So remember, a component is a smaller part which goes into a larger item.

So cotton is used to make the denim fabric.

A pumice stone is used to sand wash the jeans.

So that gives the jeans that kind of like worn effect, like you can see on the pair that we've got on the slide here.

Dye to make the jeans the correct colour.

Now, most jeans are blue, but obviously, you get white jeans, you get black jeans, you can get pink jeans, lots of different colours.

Cotton thread for sewing them.

Polyester to make the jeans stretchy.

YKK zips.

So those are the zips that you'd have on the fly.

Okay? And the rivets, which are parts of the.

Which basically put some of the parts of the jeans together.

So where you've got the belt loop, for example, those little straps which you put your belt through, they might be attached by rivets.

So they're little metal things that stick them together, and they also give the jeans quite a nice look.

Now, we're gonna look at a map which shows where some of these different components of jeans may have come from from around the world.

So now, this is not to say that all jeans components come from these places, but this is where a lot of them are made.

So rivets made from brass can often come from Germany, cotton thread from India, polyester from China, YKK zips from Bangladesh, indigo dye from India, cotton from Benin, and pumice stone from Turkey.

So we can see there looking at that, the components which go into a pair of jeans, all of those different things may have been created or manufactured all across the world.

Okay? Let's check our understanding of what we have learned so far.

So what is a component? Is it A, an item which is sold secondhand, B, a final product or C, a part or element of a larger item? Pause the video.

What do you think? The answer is C.

So it's a part or element of a larger item.

All of these different components will then be transported to one place for the jeans to be manufactured.

Okay? So if you can't remember what manufactured is, so this is where something is processed and created and turned into something basically.

Now, some of those components, which are the smaller items, have also been manufactured.

So there isn't just one manufacturing process, okay? So the components are manufactured, but then the components are brought together to create a product as well.

So there's a second stage of manufacturing in there.

Now, most jeans in the world are manufactured in the country of China.

Okay? So we've got a map on the slide here of where China is located.

So it's in the continent of Asia, just south of Russia and Mongolia, but it's north of India, Bangladesh, and a lot of those Southeast Asian countries.

Okay, so there we've got the YKK zip.

There we've got the rivets, okay? And there is some of the cotton.

So all of those components have been created.

They may have been created in China, but they may have come from a different country as well.

But now they're being all brought together to be turned or manufactured into a pair of jeans.

Now, those different components may be transported using different modes of transport, okay? So container ships might be one, especially if the component has come from a different country across the world.

So there we've got a picture of a container ship.

So these are the massive, massive ships which contain containers basically, which can hold thousands and thousands of items. They may be transported by rail.

Now, if those components were initially made in China, it's likely that they will have then been transported across the country via this method, okay? If they've come on container ships, they may have then been put on from the container ship onto a railway platform, okay? So often components use multiple modes of transport.

And then finally, most things will be moved using lorries, okay? So again, containers can be put on lorries so it reduces the kind of time that it takes to move items and also, it costs less and it's more efficient.

But these are some of the different modes of transport which can be used to move these components.

Now, on the slide here, we have got a pie chart, which shows the top six garment-exporting countries.

So garment is another word for clothing, okay? So this is including jeans, but it's not just jeans and we've based it on their export values, okay? And in US billion dollars, and this was for 2022.

So having a look there, what can you tell about where the the top six garment or clothing-exporting countries are from? Can you notice any similarities? Okay, just as a quick reminder, exports are things that are sold or goods and services which are sold to other countries and imports are things which are brought in from other countries.

So what do you notice about where a lot of this clothing is coming from? So Sofia has got an answer for us there.

"So most clothing exports come from countries in Asia, with China accounting for over of all clothing exports!" Sofia's absolutely spot on there.

Now, the majority of those countries are from Asia, apart from Turkey.

Now, jeans are sold all over the world.

Most jeans are exported to higher income countries, such as the USA and countries in Europe.

So we've got a bar chart on the slide here, which shows where a lot of the countries which receive or import the jeans are from.

So the European Union countries.

So this isn't just one country, it's lots of different countries, which are part of the European Union.

So they account for the most.

So that's 77 billion US dollars.

And the second just singular country, which imports a lot of jeans is the US, accounting for about $30 billion.

So what I'd like to do to check your understanding is tick three countries which export a large amount of clothing.

So remember, this is exporting.

So they are selling the jeans to different countries.

Okay? So there's three there.

So is it A, China, B, the USA, C, Vietnam, or D, Bangladesh? Now, there's three correct answers.

So pause the video and either say it out loud or discuss with your partner.

Okay, so the answers are China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Okay? Not the USA, they don't export a lot of clothing, but they do import quite a lot.

Okay, we're onto task A, which is our first major task for the lesson.

So what I would like to do is shade and label the countries that supply components for the production of a pair of jeans.

And you can use an atlas to help you here.

So I've put the countries on what they produce.

So we've got Benin with cotton, Turkey, with pumice stone, India with dye, Bangladesh with the YKK zips, Germany with rivets, and China with polyester.

So you're gonna shade the country using an atlas if you don't know where it is.

And then label the country and say what it produced, which component.

Pause the video and have a go at this first task.

Okay, we're on to our second task here.

What I would like you to do is describe what the pie chart shows about clothing exports, okay? So you'll need to use the numbers on the screen, make sure that you use the key as well so you know what colours represent which country.

And remember, when you are describing something, you are saying what you can see.

You're not trying to explain why this might be the case.

You are just describing the pattern, okay? Pause the video and have a go at the task.

Okay, let's check our answers.

So you should have created something similar to this for task one.

So those are the different countries with the different components that they produce.

So well done if you got all of those right? And here's a model answer for the described question.

So I have written, "The pie chart shows that over half of clothing exports come from Asian countries.

The world's largest clothing exporter is China, which exported clothing to a value of 142 billion in 2022." Now, this is a good answer because I have given what the general trend is here.

So I've said that most of these countries are from the continent of Asia, but I've also been quite specific.

So I've said that China exports 142 billion for 2022.

So I've used some extra detail in my answer from the pie chart there.

So you didn't have to write exactly that, but hopefully you should have got something similar.

So well done if you did.

You could always pause the video and add a little bit extra detail to your answer if you feel need be.

Okay, so we're onto our second learning cycle now, which is thinking about are your jeans sustainable? Now, there are issues around sustainability in the manufacturing of jeans, but first of all, we need to make sure that we know what does sustainability actually mean.

Okay? So Aisha has got something, an answer here.

So Aisha says, "If something is sustainable, it is able to last over a long period of time." Now, Aisha is correct there.

Absolutely.

Let's see if we can improve Aisha's answer.

So what have we got here? So Alex says, "It is the practise of using resources responsibly to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generation." Now, that is an absolutely fantastic geography answer, okay? 'Cause we're really thinking about what it actually means for something to be sustainable.

So we're thinking about the present generation, so us on this planet right now, and thinking about what we need from our earth to survive, to be able to eat, drink, live, sleep, everything, okay? But we're also considering future generations.

So who will come after us, okay? And what will they need? Let's check our understanding of this sustainability definition.

So deforestation, which is the chopping down of trees, is sustainable.

Is that true or is that false? That is false.

Can you tell me why? Now, deforestation is unsustainable because if we chop all down the trees, future generations won't be able to use the forest.

Okay? So that's thinking about who's coming after us.

And you know, if we chop all the trees down, we won't have that.

Now, I've not put it on the slide here, but also, deforestation contributes to global warming, which is when well, the Earth is getting hotter, okay? And I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but basically, trees absorb CO2.

So if we chop down trees, then there's more CO2 in the atmosphere, which means our planet is getting hotter.

So that's another major reason why deforestation is unsustainable.

Now, there's a town in China called Xintang, and it is known as the denim capital of the world.

One in three pairs of jeans in the world are manufactured in this town.

So that's the location of where it is.

And here are some facts for you.

So 220,000 people are employed in the denim production just in this one town.

And 300 million denim pieces are made there each year.

I find that pretty mind blowing to be honest.

However, Xintang is now suffering environmental and social problems from the production of the jeans.

So let's go through some of them.

Rivers are polluted from the dye which is used and some local rivers have turned blue, and the wildlife has been killed.

Working conditions can be extremely poor.

Some people are developing health problems as a result.

And the soil has been polluted from chemicals used to make the jeans, which affects crop yields, okay? So all of those things are not good for that place and they are unsustainable.

Now, I want you to have a think, how are these things unsustainable? Pause the video and have a quick chat with your partner.

Okay, let's have a think about this first one.

So working conditions can be poor and some people are developing health problems as a result.

Now, Alex has got a really good example of how this is unsustainable.

"So if people are working in terrible conditions, they may become unwell and therefore not be able to work.

This means they won't be able to afford to live and support their families." That's an absolutely spot on answer there, Alex.

Okay, that's an example of social unsustainability, okay? Because it's about people.

So here are two other factors, which are happening in Xintang.

So rivers are polluted from the dye which is used and some local rivers have turned blue, and wildlife has been killed.

And the soil has been polluted from chemicals used to make the jeans, which affects the crop yields.

Now, Aisha has got an answer for us now, which is saying how this is unsustainable.

So if the rivers and the soil are polluted, this means that we will not be able to use these resources in the future.

For example, if the soil becomes polluted, we may not be able to use it to grow crops.

That's a spot on answer.

What Aisha has done there is thinking about what future generation will need from the ground.

And they're gonna need decent quality soil to grow crops to eat food.

Well done, Aisha.

Now, there are new initiatives to try and make the denim industry more sustainable.

So some of these include, so using organic cotton and that is cotton, which doesn't use pesticides or fertilisers in the production.

So pesticides are chemicals that you put on crops or things that grow, which basically stops pests from eating it, which is good for the production because it means that you lose less of your crop yield because there's less pests eating it, okay? But, however, those pesticides and those chemicals can be very harmful to the soil, okay? And it might mean that you might not be able to use that soil in the future.

Also, they can get into water systems, which isn't good for drinking and water supply.

Fertilisers are things that you put on grow crops to help them grow quicker or grow more of them.

Again, good for production 'cause you get a greater yield or you get more of it.

However, those chemicals, again can get into the soil, can get into the water and that's not good for future generations.

Recycling denim is another initiative.

So rather than using or producing more and more denim, recycling the stuff that you've already got, and using more eco-friendly dyes.

So using dyes which have less harmful chemicals in them.

So again, I've just gone through a little bit.

So can you think how are these different initiatives more sustainable? Pause the video and have a chat with your partner.

Okay, Lucas has got an answer here.

"So recycling denim is more sustainable as it means that less is having to be made and therefore, using less energy." Spot on, Lucas.

And Laura's got another answer.

"So using organic cotton is sustainable as then chemicals are not being sprayed onto the ground.

This is better for the soil." Yeah, Laura is correct there.

It's also better for water as well.

Okay, let's check our understanding.

So which of the following is not sustainable? A, using pesticides, B, recycling denim or C, using eco-friendly dyes.

Okay, tick all that apply for this.

Okay, so using pesticides isn't sustainable 'cause it can pollute the water in the soil.

Right, okay, we're on to our second task for the lesson.

So the first thing that I'd like you to do is define the term sustainability.

Second, you're gonna give two reasons why denim production in Xintang is not sustainable.

Okay? Pause the video and have a go at questions one and two for task B.

Right, the third question for this is I'm going to put two people's point of view about jean production here, and I want you to choose who you agree with and why.

So the first one is Lucas.

So Lucas says, "I think people in the UK should think about where and how their jeans are made.

People should buy jeans made by companies that use sustainable techniques." So that's Lucas's point of view.

Laura thinks this, "I don't think people who buy jeans in the UK should worry about how they're made.

It is up to people in the countries they come from whether they want to make jeans sustainably." So out of those two opinions, who do you agree with, and can you explain why? Okay, let's go through the answers.

So this is an example of a sustainability definition.

Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations to be able to meet their own needs.

You might want to pause the video and add any extra detail to your definition there.

And here are two reasons why denim production in Xintang is not sustainable.

So the rivers are becoming polluted from the dye.

Some of the rivers have turned blue.

This means people can't catch fish from the rivers.

People are having to work in terrible conditions.

Some people are developing health conditions, which means that they cannot work.

You might have also included in your answer about the use of pesticides and fertilisers, which is polluting the soil.

Okay, so if you've got that one as well, spot on, well done.

Okay, now, my opinion here is that I've agreed with Lucas, and I'll say why.

I agree with Lucas because if people buy jeans from unsustainable sources, it may mean that the environment is being polluted and that people are working in poor conditions, okay? Now, that's my opinion with that.

You didn't have to completely agree with me, but those are some of the things which I believe in because it's more sustainable to produce jeans in a more eco-friendly way.

Okay, let's go through a summary of today's lesson.

Fashion is a global industry and jeans are sold all over the world.

The components to make jeans come from a number of countries and they may be made in one country, exported and sold in another country.

The majority of jeans are made in China.

There are issues with sustainability in the manufacture of jeans.

And more sustainable practises in clothing production are being introduced.

Now, that's it for today's lesson.

Well done.

You did a really good job there.

Okay, right, I'm off, but I'll see you next time.

Bye.