155Instuctors’ notEs
How are clothes made and where? The globalised fashion
and clothing industry is characterised by a high degree
of division of labour, with production taking place all
over the world. This board-game, created by Südwind,
enables learning about the industry in a playful way. The
game takes students, as journalists, on a research tour to
different countries and illustrates parts of the garment
production process. Players visit organic and conventional
cotton plantations, tour dyeing factories in India, interview
seamstresses in Central America, visit European design
metropolises and second-hand clothing markets in Ghana.
playIng thE gaME
The journalists go on their journey by following the route
on the board game. Rolling the dice, the players move
along the red circles on the board where they either have
to answer questions or get active.
Players gain knowledge in a playful way through the action
cards that prompt them to perform tasks. The numbers on
the World Map Game Board correspond with the numbers
on the action cards. In some cases, the action cards lead
students to take a detour, there and back along a path
marked with yellow spots to return to the main game.
The question cards relate to the different steps in the
production of cotton from cultivation to disposal as
well as the impact on the environment and workers in
different countries. The colours of the circles on the board
correspond with the colours of the question cards.
Printing the question cards: If you print the answers
on the reverse of the questions, you will find the
corresponding answer prints directly behind the question.
There are three types of questions, which require printing
on different coloured paper :- Pink and yellow: These questions deal with the
cultivation of cotton. Two pages of the questions should
be copied onto pink paper and one page onto yellow.
These questions should be asked on the dark pink and
yellow spots of the map in South-East Asia on the board. - Green: These questions deal with free trade zones and
should be copied onto green paper. These questions
should be asked on the green spots of the map in
Central America on the board. - orange: These questions deal with cotton production
and use, and should be copied onto orange paper.
These questions should be asked on the peachy-orange
coloured spots on the map that can be found all over the
world on the board.
As soon as somebody reaches the second-hand clothing
market in Ghana the game is over and the journalists
gather for a meeting to discuss their experiences and
consult with colleagues on how to present the results
to the public. As the facilitator, act as editor and inform
the group before they start the game what their task
will be at the meeting. This will depend on the class, but
suggestions include:- holding a panel discussion;
- writing an article;
- producing an invitation for a press conference^1 ;
- preparing a press kit
(background information, factsheets, photos, etc.); - writing a script for a TV documentary;
- creating a campaign.
IntEractIVE actIVItIEs(^1) Additional information for participants for the preparation of a press conference:
A press conference is a good way to inform the public about a complex theme: you can invite several speakers and representatives from different media (newspapers, TV, radio, etc.).
The invitation should tell the media about the issue, the date and venue, and include a snappy title for the conference. The press conference could take an hour or so after the end of the
game. It should include statements from speakers at the beginning and the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.