LESSON PLAN – 30 Minute Teaching Episode – Georga Fisher

Area of learning: Textiles Technology

Title/Topic/Focus: Making bags from old t-shirts

What are the students going to learn? Key Concepts /Specific Learning Outcome(s)

• Students realise how easy it is to reuse and repurpose items and develop an understanding of
everyday things they can do to live more sustainably.
• Students use their creativity and independence to make their own bag
• Students develop technological literacy in explaining their idea and process to others.

Resources

 Old t-shirts
 Sewing machines x3
 Needles and thread
 Scissors
 Hot glue guns and glue
 Rubber bands
 Rulers
 Buttons
 Ribbons
 Beads
 Fabrics
 Fabric markers
 Ironing boards and irons x2
 Finished bag examples

Lesson Outline

Timing I will… Students will…

2 mins INTRODUCING THE LESSON
Today we are going to make bags from old t-shirts. You will have 20 Listen to instructions and select
minutes to make them. I’m not going to tell you how to make them. I a t-shirt and other items to
want you to think about how you could make them and I want you to be make their bags
creative. There is a range of resources on the table and you can use
whatever you want. You can use the sewing machines if you want – who
knows how to use them? You can hand sew, you can use hot glue guns,
you can use embellishments, it is up to you. Come and choose a t-shirt
and away you go.

12 mins DEVELOPING THE LESSON

Now stop where you are and choose a partner. Everyone got a partner? Pair up and tell each other how
Ok now you need to tell your partner what your finished concept is for to finish the bags
your bag and they are going to finish it for you.
22 mins CONCLUDING THE LESSON
Ok so finishing up and gathering around.
So, was that fun?
Was it easy?
Did your bag turn out how you thought it would or how you wanted it?
Let’s quickly go around the room and look at what everyone has done.
Say if it turned out as you thought and why or why not.
Would you use your bag?
What are the benefits of making a bag like this?
Tests communication skills
 Develops technological literacy
Sustainable option to plastic bags
Shows how easy it is to put sustainability into action
Students can quickly make something that is simple but effective, shows
a bit of their personality, promotes autonomy and uses their creativity.
Allows them to experience success and have something to take home

Summary
The idea behind this teaching episode stems from an experience I had on placement. I was teaching a unit
where the students had to design and make their own soft toy and we got to the stage as with most project
based assignments where a small group of students were finished while there was a large number of
students who were still working and needed help. My challenge was to come up with an extension activity
that had purpose, not something that they would make and then throw in the bin and waste the meagre
resources we had. It had to be fun, and engaging so that they didn’t muck around and distract the rest of
the class and something they would use. Ideally it would somehow compliment the curriculum. I asked the
students what they wanted to do and consequently ended up having my time monopolised by the students
doing the extension activity instead of helping the rest of the class who hadn’t finished their pieces for
assessment.
This activity would be suitable for a single lesson and it is assumed that students have had some exposure
to sewing techniques and processes. It is designed to encourage students’ creativity and independence
while creating an item that is sustainable and useable and reflects the students’ personality. It doesn’t have
to involve sewing but the option is there for those who want to. Students can be as creative as they like in
making their bags and are given ‘free reign’ to use any of the available resources. They are encouraged to
experiment with ideas and techniques like cutting, weaving, knotting, adding embellishments, and different
ways of closing the bottom of their bags.
I have tried using a more student led approach to this activity, leaving the students to work out their own
ways of making the bag instead of me showing them the way to do it. As it is something I might use as an
extension activity I want it to be something where students can be more autonomous and try different
things and come up with some innovative ideas without me imposing my ideas on them.

Objectives
• Students realise how easy it is to reuse and repurpose items and develop an understanding of
everyday things they can do to live more sustainably.
This objective directly relates to the ACARA cross- curriculum priority of sustainability. It encourages
students to act sustainably as individuals and to participate in collective endeavours, which in this case is
the reduction of plastic bag use which has been in current affairs recently with the banning of plastic bag
use interstate. It also encourages students to reuse resources we already have instead of throwing things
out and buying more. It also prolongs the life of a piece of clothing by repurposing it.
• Students use their creativity and independence to make their own bag.
This objective relates to the Australian curriculum under Process and Production skills -Critique needs or
opportunities for designing and investigate, analyse and select from a range of materials, components,
tools, equipment and processes to develop design ideas (ACTDEP035). Students choose materials, tools and
processes in order to realise their own creative ideas and produce their own bags.
• Students develop technological literacy in explaining their idea and process to others.
This objective relates to ACARA Process and Production skills -Generate, develop, test and communicate
design ideas, plans and processes for various audiences using appropriate technical terms and technologies
including graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP036). Students make their bags and communicate
their ideas so that another student can complete it. They then compare the completed product with the
original idea. In doing so students are communicating their ideas using appropriate terminology.

Assessment
Assessment will be formative for this activity and observation and verbal responses will be used to ascertain
whether students have an understanding of the main concepts behind the activity. Students will have met
the objectives by finishing their bags, considering the implications of something that is repurposed and
beneficial for sustainability and being able to effectively communicate their ideas.