Theme: Restrictions and rules regarding dress.
Lexical area: Clothes and describing people

Instructions for language assistants in Italics

Classroom materials

Introduction
Several shopping centres in the UK have recently banned people from wearing hoods and baseball caps, claiming that groups of young people with hoods up can appear threatening to customers. It was also an issue that young people wearing hoods are not easily identifiable on CCTV if they are covering their head with a hood. This lesson looks at rules and restrictions regarding how young people are allowed to dress in the UK, both in school and in the community. Note: young people with their hood up are known as ‘hoodies’.

Task 1 uses pictures to pre-teach vocabulary needed in following tasks. Task 2 is a true and false to inform students of some British dress codes. Task 3 is a reading based on a website message board discussing the ban of hoodies in British shopping centres. Task 4 asks students to think about how they would dress for different events and Task 5 is a role play. Task 6 offers some statements on dress and image for students to discuss in small groups.

1. Introduction task.
To introduce the idea and the meaning of ‘dress code’ get some pictures of people dressed in different ways from magazines or from the internet. It would be good to get a variety – suits, casual wear, punky clothes, hip hop, work uniforms etc. If you are going to use tasks 2, 3 or 5 make sure you have a picture of someone in a hooded top. Tell your students that the word ‘hoodie’ is used to describe young people who wear these tops. David and Victoria Beckham would probably be able to provide many of the different styles! They would also be good to elicit vocabulary such as tattoos, ear-rings, jewellery etc. Hold up the pictures one by one and ask the students some questions. For example:

• ‘What’s he/she wearing?’
• ‘Do you like these clothes?’
• ‘Where would you wear clothes like these?’
• ‘How important are these clothes for his image?’

Explain the term dress code and being the norms of clothing in certain places. Does the school you are in have a dress code for students? Is there a dress code for teachers? Do their parents have to wear special clothing for work?

Task 1 Introduction task

Your teacher is going to show you some pictures of people. Make a note of any new vocabulary you need to describe the people.

2. Dress code UK: True or false?
To make this task more challenging dictate the sentences to the class rather than give them the sentences written down. Ask students to discuss the sentences in groups and to decide whether they think they are true or false.

Answers:

• False- the vast majority wear uniform.
• True – a shopping centre in Kent banned young people wearing hoods and caps.
• True – in some rules they state exactly the length allowed for boys and girls with long hair must tie hair back with the correct coloured band! Check out this web page for details: http://www.bchs.essex.sch.uk/
• This depends on the school. Some schools don’t allow trainers or boots.
• Depending on where you are working and whether or not your students wear a uniform or not you can extend this section using the website given above. There is a lot of opportunity for comparisons and discussion here.

Task 2 Dress code UK: True or false?
Read the sentences about Britain and decide if they are true or false.

• Most British students don’t wear school uniform.
• A shopping centre in the UK recently banned hoods and baseball caps.
• Some schools specify the length of hair and the styles that are allowed.
• You can wear any types of shoe with a school uniform.

3. Message board: Have your say
This task follows on the true statement, number two task two. If you don’t know anything about this recent ban of hooded tops in some shopping centre, read some of the articles you will find in the internet links below.

This task is adapted from the Newsround message board you can find at http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews

If your students have the level you could use the original version rather than my simplified one.

Ask students to read the message board comments and then discuss the questions in small groups. Alternatively give each student one comment to read and then explain to the group.

Task 3 Message board: Have your say
Do you think it’s fair to ban young people wearing hoods and baseball caps from shopping centres?

• Who do you agree with?
• Do you think the rule is a good idea?
• Are there any rules like this in your country?

4. Dress code: What to wear where?
This task is to get students practising clothes vocabulary and to think about formality of dress. Put students into groups of 3 or 4 and ask them to chose the ideal outfit for each occasion. If there are boys and girls in the group they can divide the boxes into two and do one for males and one for females.

Task 4 Dress code: What to wear where?
What do you think you should wear on these occasions? How formal do you think you should dress? Talk to your group and decide on what you should wear to each event.

5. Role play
This role play follows on from task 3 and gives students the chance to put themselves into the shoes of Put students into pairs, A is the shopping centre manager and B is the hoodie.

Task 5 Role play

6. Dress code statements
Cut up the statements and give a set to each small group of students or use them to discuss as a whole class. Encourage students to expand on the topics and use the statements as a starting point for a discussion.

Task 6 Dress code statements

• Everyone should be allowed to wear exactly what they want.
• School uniform is a good idea.
• Nobody should have to wear a uniform at school or work.
• People should be free to choose their own hair style.
• Image is very important.
• Tattoos are a good way to express your personality.

Internet links

BBC Newsround article about the hood and baseball cap ban in a Kent shopping centre.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/news

Young people have their say about the hoodies ban.
http://www.childrens-express.org/ Children’s Express article about hoodies.

Article about Lady Sovereign, a teenager rapper who has written a song called Hoodies!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/

An example of a school uniform list. This would be a great starting point for a class discussion.
http://www.bchs.essex.sch.uk/

By Jo Budden