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Where Does it Come From?

Where do the things we use come from? Think about what you’re wearing right now – where was it bought? Where was it made? Where did the materials it’s made of come from? Explore the journey that our objects take before making it into our hands!

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Plan

  • What items will you learn about?
  • How will you track where your items are from?
  • What will you use to keep track of where each item came from?
  • Which items do you think came the furthest?

Do

  • In small teams, select a few items. They could be items of clothing, toys, or food.
  • Research where the items came from – some items may have their location listed on a label, while you might have to research others.
  • Think about the label – does it make sense? If an item says that it is made it Canada, does it make sense for all the raw materials to come from Canada too? Is it even possible to get those raw materials in Canada?
  • Don’t forget, some items may be processed or packaged in Canada, but made somewhere else.
  • Find a way to display all your items – label where they came from on a map or use the floor as a giant map and place each item in different areas to represent their countries of origin.
  • Does anything surprise you about where your items came from?

Review

  • What do you know now that you didn’t know before?
  • Which items came the furthest? Which items were made closest to home?
  • Why does it matter how far things travel?
  • Are there any ways to get versions of the same items but made closer to home?
  • Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map to the Review section.

Keep it Simple

  • One easy way to shop local is by buying your produce at a farmers’ market. Visit a farmers’ market and see what goods they have to offer!

Take it Further

  • Some items may be made in one country but come from raw materials gathered in a different country. See if you can track down where the raw materials came from as well as the item itself.