This week, primary school assemblies and classroom discussions are focusing on sustainability, repairing, and upcycling, inspired by stories in the news from January 16th to 22nd, 2023. These themes invite students to think about how their choices impact the environment and what actions they can take to be more resourceful. What Is Happening With Repairing and Upcycling? Many people are now choosing to reuse, repair, and upcycle items rather than throw them away and buy new ones. Experts believe that the cost of living crisis has encouraged this shift, with many making the most of what they already own. Since the 1950s, a throwaway culture was common, but it now appears to be declining. What Is a Repair Café? Repair cafés are free meeting places where people come together to fix items. At a repair café, tools and materials are provided, and skilled volunteers help visitors with repairs. People commonly bring clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, toys, and more. Visitors often learn new skills from the volunteers as they work on their repairs, and if they have nothing to fix, they can join others or simply have tea or coffee. There are now over 2,500 repair cafés worldwide. Values of Repair Cafés Repair cafés stand for waste reduction, sharing practical skills, and building community connections among people from diverse backgrounds. These spaces inspire learning and collaboration. Rules of a Repair Café Repairs are carried out free of charge by experts. Visitors should try to repair their own items with help, if possible. Each visit is limited to one broken item per person. Donations to the café are welcome. Upcycling: Giving Old Items New Life Upcycling means transforming old or unwanted items into something more fashionable, valuable, or functional. Some creative examples include: A plastic bottle upcycled into a bird feeder. An old suitcase turned into a chess game set. A t-shirt made into a necklace. Old tyres turned into colourful planters. Wooden pallets upcycled as furniture. Pull tabs from drinks cans made into handbags. Discuss with your class or at home: Which upcycled items would you use? Why? Opinions: Repair Skills in Younger Generations There are different views about whether young people today learn enough about repairing things. Some feel technology has made repairs more complicated, while others think accessible online resources make learning repairs easier than ever. For example, some adults recall learning repair skills at school and home, while others say that online tutorials now help people find solutions independently. Discussion in classrooms can focus on whether learning how to repair items is an important skill for young people. Reflection: Why Repair and Upcycle? Most items can be fixed, changed, or even improved. Instead of throwing away damaged or old things, mending and upcycling gives them new life—helping us save money, protect the environment, and develop valuable skills. Every action we take has consequences, and choosing to repair reduces waste and supports sustainability. Exploring Our Beliefs and Choices Our approach to repairing may be influenced by culture, beliefs, and household habits. Some individuals are more likely to throw away items due to their beliefs or convenience, but reflecting on these actions can help us make more conscious choices. Classroom and Home Discussion Ideas Can you think of items at home you could take to a repair café? Do you know how to fix things when they break? Should repairing be a skill taught to all young people? Have you ever repaired or upcycled something before? Would you like to learn more? Do you think repair cafés are a good idea? Would you use one if it was available nearby? Discuss the benefits and potential drawbacks of upcycling and repairing. Follow-Up Activities for the Classroom KS1 and KS2 Activity Suggestions Compare the cost-effectiveness of repairing versus buying new items (e.g., patching up a t-shirt versus buying a replacement). Bring in an item for repair, such as a sock with a hole, and try mending it yourself—reflect on what you learned from the experience. Choose an item to upcycle for classroom or outdoor use, such as making a plant pot from an old container. Design a menu or decorate the repair café with upcycled materials. Useful Vocabulary Repair: To mend or fix something that is broken or damaged. Upcycling: Changing or decorating an item to add value or make it more fashionable. A new lease of life: An extension of usefulness for an item. Crisis: A time of difficulty or disagreement (such as the current cost of living crisis). Culture: The way a group of people live at a particular time. Sharing Language and Culture: Learning Welsh Another news story this week highlights efforts to promote the Welsh language online, with individuals turning to social media platforms like TikTok to teach and share Welsh. Engaging with languages through music, TV, and digital media can be an effective and fun way to learn. This approach mirrors the creative spirit found in upcycling and repairing—finding new ways to connect with traditions and skills. Inspiring News and Community Actions Stories such as Thor the Walrus’s journey and recent world records—like dining at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants in a single day—can inspire classroom discussions about community, determination, and global awareness. These stories encourage students to think about challenges, personal goals, and the wider world around them. To further explore this week's topics and resources, use the following links: Explore the latest Picture News resources here: https://picture-news.co.uk/free-sample Join our latest discussion here: https://picture-news.co.uk/discuss Explore our recent events and training here: https://picture-news.co.uk/training
