Supplementary Materials for Teaching About Repair
This page offers a variety of materials and ideas to enrich teaching about repair.
It is hopelessly disorganized.
Please send suggestions about material to add!
IFixit
—> iFixit is an invaluable resource <—
What they offer:
Videos; comprehensive treatments of various topics related to repair; thousands of repair manuals (support for hands-on activities).
All Ages
The iFixit resources below are for teaching about repair — free.
Links to iFixit resources to do repair are on the Practical and Technical Resources page — free.
iFixit sells parts and tools.
Who they are:
iFixit hosts a wiki site for thousands of on-line repair manuals, advocates for right Right to Repair, sells repair parts and tools, teaches technical writing and publishes on all matters repair. In short, iFixit is one of the world-wide champions of repair. IFixit is a private company.
1. Anthology of Resources
Well-organized and clear treatment of many issues related to repair, from environmental to political to economic, with research citations.
This is a super valuable page: Resources
2. K-12 Educator Tool Chest
Repair-centered lessons and activities
"We really want to support the great work that teachers are doing, so we compiled some resources to bring the iFixit spirit into your classroom. We have some great activities that focus on e-waste, sustainability, engineering/design, technical writing, technical identity, and more."
Activities are organized by grade level: K-5, 6-8, 9-12.
K-12 Educator Tool Chest
3. Video
Kyle Wiens, founder of iFixit, on technology, design, repair, social justice and the environment.
Big picture on the effects of ewaste, repair, and individual agency.
Video (4:28 min) “I can imagine a world where ….”
4. The Argument for Repair
”Why We Do What We Do”
5. Repair Manifesto Poster (see below)
Free download or low cost order HERE
6. “E-waste is the Toxic Legacy of our Digital Age”
Excellent orientation to e-waste issues, links to articles and research publications.
E-waste Portal
7. Right to Repair
Extensive resources for understanding Right to Repair — the issues, the players, the policies, the actions across the country and in other parts of the globe.
Overview of Right to Repair
News on Right to Repair
8. Technical Writing Education
University level
“Our project has partnered with 87 universities around the world to teach repair and technical writing. Since we launched the program, over 23,000 students have worked together to create more than 40,000 repair manuals on iFixit. This site is here to help you through our curriculum.”
Begin here.
“If you are an educator interested in joining our tech writing program, check out the Prospective Universities page.”
How To Reduce Waste
Video
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Video
Very accessible video outlining how the linear economy functions, why it’s a problem, and where repair fits into reducing its harmful effects.
Created by Share and Repair Bath, a public charity running repair cafes, Library of Things, how-to workshops and more in Bath, England.
The Story of Stuff
Videos
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Video (2:40 minutes)
Very accessible and compelling videos. Some address repair; others establish the context in which repair and reuse are imperative.
“We have a problem with Stuff: we have too much of it, too much of it is toxic and we don’t share it very well. But that’s not the way things have to be.”
The Story of Stuff Project is:
· Community-Minded,
· Solutions-Focused, and
· Action-Oriented.
“The Repair Model That Could Save the Fashion Industry's Environmental Impact | Solving Plastic” video (3 minutes)
“The apparel industry is churning out new designs so quickly that its inventory can almost be considered single-use plastic. Repair Lair is one of many companies transforming the apparel industry, leading the way with a revolutionary business model to keep our clothes out of landfills.”
"The Story of Stuff" video (21 minutes)
“The Story of Stuff, originally released in December 2007, is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.”
"The Story of Electronics" video (7:35 minutes)
“The Solving Plastics Series” video series
All videos offered by The Story of Stuff Project
Supply Chain Map
Fairphone
Fairphone is a European mobile phone manufacturer committed to “a fairer electronics industry”.
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Fair Phone Interactive Supply Chain Map
Access — Other Supply Chain Maps
Fairphone builds a deeper understanding between people and their products, driving conversations about what “fair” really means. By creating a more sustainable smartphone, we’re demonstrating the endless possibilities for a fairer future – for everyone.”
“World-leading design. Easier repairs, possibilities to upgrade and better recycling. Accidents happen but that doesn’t have to mean the end of your phone! Make it last longer with replaceable modules — you can even repair it yourself with a single screwdriver.”
Mainstream Media on Repair
Age — Middle school and up
Cost — Free
Access:
CBS News (video)— "'Fixit Clinic' volunteers on Peninsula fight climate change by keeping gadgets out of landfills" (3:23 minutes)
KQED (audio) — "Bay Area's 'Fix-It' Culture Thrives Amid State's Forthcoming Right-to-Repair Law" (3:32 minutes)
Community Repair Events — Local Initiatives
Videos
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Palo Alto Repair Café (3:28 min)
Access — Berkeley Repair Café (1:54 min)
Access — Fixit Clinic (3:23 min)
Access — Restart Parties (4:19 min)
The videos communicate not only what events are, but demonstrate what people can do in response to waste, planned obsolescence, barriers to repair, linear economy, consumer dis-empowerment, etc.
These are a few of thousands of grassroots initiatives around the world. See Schools and Community Repair Events for ideas on how to leverage local activities for learning, and for tips on finding local events.
The essential elements of Community Repair Events are teaching and emboldening people to fix their own things, encouraging a shift in how we think about our possessions, and raising awareness around the profound impact made by extending the life of what we already have.
Folks who know how to fix things get together with folks who don't, and work together to bring broken things back to life. Along the way, the more important objective is accomplished: Raising people's awareness of the imperative of extending the lifespan of the things we have by fixing them rather than prematurely discarding and replacing them.
The Essence of Repair Culture
Video: How Repair Is Practiced and Connects Communities Across the World
Age — High school and up
Cost — Free
Access — Video — 1 hour 25 minutes
Sponsored by The Maintainers, Mathew Lubari presented an exploration of maintenance, repair and care across countries and global contexts.
While repair and maintenance is relevant from the perspective of circular economy in developed societies, in the case of displacement settings or underdeveloped societies it is a form of survival or at least a means of ensuring the status quo. Mathew is a 2023 Maintainers Movement Fellow.
Moderated by Matthew Lubari
Participants:
Romeo Ronald – Ask Net Community
Purna Sarkar – Repair Cafe Bengaluru
Maretta Osgood – The Workshop Floor Australia
James Pickstone – The Restart Project
Organiser Un Repair Café Dans Mon École! / Organize a Repair Cafe In My School!
Detailed instructions and supporting materials for establishing a Repair Café in a school context.
Age — Manual for adults, for pupils of any age
Cost — Free
Access — Organiser Un Repair Café Dans Mon École! (French)
15 page PDF guidebook, plus many supplementary pages, mostly PDF’s. (French)
Repair Together is an affiliate of the International Repair Café Foundation
“Repair Together is a social association based on solidarity that helps and supports local initiatives to mobilise for the sustainable use of resources. Its aim is to pool the resources needed to create, develop and maintain the Belgian "Repair Cafés" in Brussels and Wallonia. Repair Together organises repair training courses to expand knowledge across the network and increase the expertise of the volunteer repairers. The non-profit organisation also offers activities focused on repair and the circular economy. These activities are aimed at schools as well as the general public.”
Repair Together partners with a network of organizations supporting repair in Europe and the UK.
12. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation — Circular Economy
“Repair and maintenance keep things in use at their highest level… Repair is absolutely part of a circular economy.”
— Ellen MacArthur
See Materials from Existing Programs on this website for resources from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation explicitly designed for the classroom.
Searching the website on “repair” results in scores of pages addressing repair, many well-suited to supplement teaching about repair.
ADEME
Extensive library of materials related to sustainability, including repair. Most publications are in French, though a good number are in English.
For example, a 24 page assessment of the Repairability Index recently implemented in France. Report
ADEME is a public establishment under the joint oversight of the French Ministry of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. (in English)
Ademe resources are extensive, serving the public, private and public sectors; individuals and organizations. See ADEME under World Wide Initiatives for more.
unbroken.solutions
“unbroken.solutions explores the impact and our systemic solutions to waste; ways to overcome the barriers, identify ideas and resources that we can all access or demand our rights to use.”
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Anatomy of a phone
Access — Consumption of resources
Access — Loads more:
here: https://unbroken.solutions/
here: https://unbroken.solutions/resources/
here: https://unbroken.solutions/news/
The Maintainers — Coloring Book
Do not be misled by “Coloring Book”! This is important and sophisticated material, designed for high school students.
Repair is a core part of maintenance.
Age — Middle school and beyond
Cost — Free
Access — Coloring Book
“We dedicate this coloring book to all of the people whose daily efforts keep the world going.”
“Throughout this coloring book we wish to bring reflective questions, guiding you to identify your connection to maintenance and how it changes over time. Text and illustrations in this coloring book are inspired by papers and presentations that were part of The Maintainers III: Policy, Practice, and Care conference program in 2019.”
“Our hope is for those who engage with this book to come away with a new understanding of maintenance. The four sections of this coloring book have additional questions for you to consider
while you make your art. These questions have been modified from the NYS Common Core Arts Standards, and are geared toward students at the high school level and beyond. Younger learners may have questions for adults, and thus we encourage parents and teachers to review the coloring book prior. (http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/arts-standards-implementation-resources)”
Get to know The Maintainers. They help you see the world a little more clearly.
AutoDesk — Design for Repair and Upgrade
Age — Middle school and beyond
Cost — Free
Access — Video
4 minutes
A highly accessible video outlining the why’s and how’s of designing electronics for repair.
Fieldston School
On-Campus, Student-Run Repair Program
"Inspired by the London-based Restart Project, the ECFS technology department launched its first student-led, technology repair program—called the Restart Center—at Fieldston Upper in November of 2015…The Restart Center is a designated space where students can learn how to repair and troubleshoot computers, tablets, and/or phones. Rather than thinking of the Restart Center as a "fix-it" tech center and troubleshooting drop-in space, the goal of Restart is to educate students to be responsible consumers of new technologies, as well as push for more sustainability efforts when it comes to device repair and maintenance."
Video describing program
A Wide Range of Articles About Repair — from Newspapers, Journals, Blogs …
“Choosing to Skip the Upgrade and Care for the Gadget You’ve Got”
New York Times
“The trend to mend: how repair shops are leading a fixing revolution”
The Guardian
“Repairing an old thing is a small act of defiance against disposable culture — Spend It Better: The Repair Acts project is documenting the social history of repair, as well as holding workshops and events”
The Irish Times
"These 5 economic policy changes would help us live in harmony with God's gift of life"
The National Catholic Reporter
MEND Darn, Patch & Repair
Selvedge Magazine, Issue 102
Regular price £20.50 GBP
"Why France’s new ‘repairability index’ is a big deal"
Grist — Climate, Justice, Solutions
"Electric goods 'should have repairability rating'"
BBC News
“The Art of Repair”
New York Times
"The Biden administration thinks you should be allowed to fix the things you buy"
Washington Post
"Broken laptop? How California’s right-to-repair movement is trying to make it easier to fix your electronics"
San Francisco Chronicle
“Do It Yourself Home Repairs”
New York Times
“Smartphones Are Like Cars. So Why Don’t We Maintain Them?”
New York Times
Right to Repair
Challenging the System
Right to Repair has taken off. Maintaining a current list of resources is, thankfully, nearly impossible.
See our page on Right to Repair for resources.
For current and past news, see: SecuRepairs
European Environmental Bureau (EEB) Report
The EEB published a report in September 2019 on the impact on the environment of short-lived products. Repair is central to extending products' useful lives.
"Our analysis shows that extending the lifetime of all washing machines, notebooks, vacuum cleaners and smartphones in the EU by just one year would save around 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually by 2030, the equivalent of taking over 2 million cars off the roads for a year."
The full report including data, methodology and conclusions can be found HERE.
Repairability Index
Much like energy usage indexes on consumer goods, a repairability index would indicate to prospective buyers how readily an item could be repaired.
While the European Union is slowly progressing toward establishing a Repairability Index, France has moved ahead. "In a world-first move [in January 2021], France began requiring makers of certain electronic devices, including smartphones and laptops, to tell consumers how repairable their products are."
Tool Lending Library and Repair
A video from The Story of Stuff Project about The Zero Waste Movement, featuring Berkeley Public Library’s Tool Lending Library, host for Berkeley’s Fixit Clinics.
"Borrow Tools and Repair Stuff at This Library!"
"The Zero Waste movement is spreading across the United States. Say NO to mindless consumerism, say YES to Zero Waste."
US Environmental Protection Agency
Basics of Reducing and Reusing
Early elementary school students, includes short animated video: “The Story of Reuse”
Sum: "The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money."
Fix-it Shops ~ An Endangered Species
This short video (5 minutes) by Dorothy Fadiman profiles Menlo Vacuum and Fix-It in Menlo Park, California. While the video was made in 1998, it continues to illustrate well the issues and opportunities around repair.
Synopsis: "Fix-it Shops takes an affectionate look behind the scenes at a neighborhood business which repairs small appliances. In this intimate portrait, viewers meet the people whose dedication, patience, and skills contribute to their own community. This form of “recycling” adds significantly to the urban ecosystem by reducing unnecessary waste in landfills."
"Fix-it Shops ~ An Endangered Species"
Menlo Vacuum and Fix-It was established in 1964. George Lynch, the third owner, continues to operate the shop, one of the last general appliance repair outfits still standing in The Bay.
"Repair Is Beautiful"
Paolo Goldstein: video (5:31 minutes)
Fix-Ed — Australia
A program in Brisbane, Australia
“How fix-ed works:
Students develop critical, empathetic mindsets to understand & Define Community problems.
Community Partners donate broken items For Fix-ed to repair, whilst other partners give resources & time.
Students grow creativity by responding to their identified problems through ideation, development & testing of ideas.
Enterprise skills are built as students develop business models around their proposals & grow confidence in pitching.
Students develop a range of hands-on repair skills to upcycle items. This includes fabrication & coding skills.
Repaired Items are leased to those people in the community who most need it to improve their quality of life.
“Participating students are engaging with enthusiasm and commitment. With their newly learnt skills in design thinking, social entrepreneurship and repair, there's no doubt they are well prepared to tackle community problems with creative opportunities which lead Australia to a bright future.”