All 3 Graded Readings
Company makes smartphone you can repair yourself
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Smartphone Repairs - Level 4
Many people feel helpless when their smartphone breaks. Phone makers try to stop consumers from repairing phones themselves. A new company called Fairphone has made a self-repairable mobile phone. It is "the world's first ethical smartphone". It has four basic aims. These are to use raw materials from non-conflict mining areas; and to make a product that was recyclable, durable and repairable.
The Fairphone website outlines the company's philosophy. It wants to get "a massive industry to take responsibility for its impact on the world, by establishing a viable market for ethical electronics". It wants better conditions for tech company workers. It also wants the electronics industry to reduce its waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The plastic used in the Fairphone is 40-per-cent recycled, and the minerals are ethically sourced.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Smartphone Repairs - Level 5
Many people feel exasperated and helpless when their smartphone breaks. Phone makers go to extraordinary lengths to stop consumers from opening the back of their phones to repair them. A new company has produced a self-repairable mobile phone. It's called Fairphone. It set out to make "the world's first ethical smartphone". It started in 2013 with four basic principles. These were to use raw materials from non-conflict mining areas; and to make a product that was recyclable, durable and repairable. Fairphone incorporated these in its new smartphone.
The Fairphone website outlines the company's philosophy. Its mission is to get "a massive industry to take responsibility for its impact on the world, by establishing a viable market for ethical electronics". It says many tech company workers work in poor conditions. The electronics industry creates a "staggering amount of waste". Fairphone says communication technology will account for 14 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The Fairphone comes with a screwdriver and is easily repairable. The plastic used is 40-per-cent recycled, and the minerals are ethically sourced.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Smartphone Repairs - Level 6
Most of us have felt the exasperation of feeling helpless when our smartphone breaks. Phone manufacturers seem to go to extraordinary lengths to deter consumers from opening the back of their phones to try DIY repairs. Help is at hand. Fairphone is a new company that has produced a self-repairable mobile phone. The founder is Bas van Abel, a Dutch design engineer who set out to make "the world's first ethical smartphone". He started his company in 2013 with four basic principles. First, he wanted to use raw materials from non-conflict mining areas. He also wanted to make a product that was recyclable, durable and repairable. The new Fairphone embodies these aims.
The Fairphone website outlines the philosophy that underpins the company. It says its mission is to motivate "a massive industry to take responsibility for its impact on the world, by establishing a viable market for ethical electronics". It highlights the fact that many workers who produce technology are working in unacceptable conditions. It also points out the, "staggering amount of waste the electronics industry generates". Finally, it says: "Communication technology is on track to account for 14 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions by 2040." The Fairphone comes with a screwdriver and is easily repairable. The plastic used is 40-per-cent recycled, and the minerals are ethically sourced.
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25 online activities | 27-page printable | 2-page mini-lesson
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