We’re gathering classroom resources to help teachers and students make the most of our website. Some of what you will find below is bespoke followthethings.com work. Some have been produced with Fashion Revolution Day, whose #whomademyclothes question fits our Fashion Department. Some have been produced by teachers and activists working with our site. Some have been produced by others. Here’s what we have assembled so far. Please check back.

Introduction to the ‘follow the thing’ approach

For a 5 minute explanation of the ‘follow the thing’ approach to material culture studies, we love this. Artist and designer Christien Meindertsma – author of pig-following book PIG05049 – explains it beautifully.

Introduction to followthethings.com

For a step by step guide to what our website is and how to use it, try this cartoon guide produced for us by geography teacher extraordinaire Alan Parkinson.

Our ‘Who made my clothes?’ online course

This is a 3 week course first run in 2017 in partnership with Fashion Revolution and the University of Exeter. It shows you how, by rummaging through your clothes and doing some internet research, this simple question can be answered. Follow the course on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Search for the course on the Futurelearn platform. Here’s the trailer.

Our ‘traces of labour’ series

In 2017, to promote our online course, we made a series of short films in which CEO Ian shows how to find and think about the traces of labour in everyday things. There are 5 films: on shopping bags, jeans, smartphones, footballs, and CSI Fingerprint Examination Kits. Here’s the playlist:

Our resources

These are the resources that we have produced. Please browse, click, read what’s here and let us know what you think!

Follow the things in the UK National Curriculum (suitable for all ages)

Ethical trade trump card game (suitable for all ages: how to play here)

Follow the things with the RGS(IBG) (ages 11-14, KS3 download)

Making the connection: mobile phone geographies (ages 14-16, KS4)

Resources developed with others

Teaching media literacy and the geographies of consumption (suitable for all ages, original Finnish edition here).

Teachers’ perspectives (#followtheteachers)

Here are some blog posts written by teachers and lecturers who have used our website in their lesson planning.

Developing global perspectives on sustainability with followthethings.com by Helen Bowstead (suitable for 18+ mixed nationality classes)

How to run a subvertisement workshop by Eeva Kemppainen (suitable for all ages)

Globalisation research by Natalie Batten (age 16-18, KS5)

Raising awareness in the classroom by Alicia Carrasco Rozas

Banksy & globalisation by Oprah Whipp (ages 11-12, KS3)

Who are you wearing? by Hannah Campion (ages 11-12, KS3)

Where does our food come from? by Joe Lambert (age 7-8, KS1)

Fashion Revolution Day resources (#whomademyclothes)

These resources are right up our street!

It’s time for a Fashion Revolution (ages 16+, KS5)

How to be a fashion revolutionary (ages 16+, KS5)

Design a fashion revolution day poster (ages 7-18, KS1-5)*

What can I find out about my clothes? (ages 7-11, KS2)*

Where are my clothes made? (ages 7-11, KS2)*

Write to a person who made my clothes (ages 7-11, KS2)*

Research my clothes and write to the brand (ages 11-18, KS3-5)*

Fashion Revolution Trump Card game (ages 11-18, KS3-5)*

Take a selfie & send it to my uniform brand (age 14-18, KS3-5)*

Take a selfie & send it to a brand (age 14-18, KS3-5)*

Fashion Revolution quiz (Age 17+, KS5)*

* you will need to register for these free resources

Other ‘follow the thing’ resources

Here we showcase other people’s work that draws on followthethings.com and its resources.

Political action & new technologies by Andrew Peterson & Paul Warwick (ages 17+, KS5+)

Follow the shipping container by Alan Parkinson (suitable for all ages, download)

Commodity Geographies by Mary Biddulph, David Lambert & David Balderstone (ages 11-16, KS3-4)

Where am I wearing? by Kelsey Timmerman (ages 11-18, KS3-5)

Follow the things research in the Times Education Supplement (ages 11-14, KS3)

Who made my uniform? by Becky Earley (ages 5-11, KS1-2)

Tools of the trade by Anthony Barlow (ages 5-11, KS1-2)

Search the map

Finally! We recognise that Geography teachers in particular may find useful a followthethings.com search map. If you’re teaching about a geographical region or country, see what parts of what followthethings.com pages involve and connect specific places. Click the icons to see what’s where.

Watch this space for updates.