During this year’s Languages Week at Corpus Christi College, the Year 8 and Year 12 classes came up with an innovative way of sharing the message of sustainability with their community.

A wider discussion in Australia at the time around alternatives to banned plastic bags in stores and supermarkets inspired students to make their own bags with messages in many languages focussed on environmental sustainability.

Students were able to research and find out what other countries were doing in relation to the environment, and while the Year 8 classes were producing the bags, examples of sustainability messages were provided by Year 12 students who were studying their unit on the Environment at that time.

This provided material for rich discussion amongst the students comparing what happens in Australia to what occurs in other countries, and they were asked to brain storm some messages in their target language to put on the bags.

Once the students had chosen what they wanted to express on their bags in their preferred language, they were also able to design an image that best presented their message. The students were provided with a calico bag and an abundant supply of colour to realise their vision.

Some students took their bags home for their families to use for shopping, while others opted to begin their bags’ service carry books to classes.

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