Lesson plan
Dress code
Topic
Restrictions and rules regarding dress
Aims
• To review vocabulary to describe clothing
• To practise reading skills
• To develop discussion skills
Age group
12 - adult
Level
B1 – B2
Time
60 minutes
Materials
1. Dress code- student worksheet
2. Internet links: [Link] - BBC article about the banning of
hoods in shopping centre
[Link] - article on hoodies
from children’s news website Headliners
[Link] - Lady
Sovereign’s teenage rap about hoodies.
[Link]
Lesson plan
chool_and_Sixth_Form_Girls.aspx - an example of a UK school’s uniform list.
Introduction
Several shopping centres in the UK controversially 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’.
This has become a hot political issue in the UK, with David Cameron later adopting a ‘hug a hoodie’
campaign.
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.
Procedure
1. Task 1 - To introduce the idea and the meaning of ‘dress code’ get some pictures of people
Describing dressed in different ways from magazines or from the internet. It would be good to get a
clothes 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?’
Encourage students to make a note of any new vocabulary.
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?
2. Task 2 – Check students understand what an icon is. Give some examples of some icons of their
Dress code UK: To make this task more challenging dictate the sentences to the class rather than give
Lesson plan
True or false? 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!
• 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
3. Task 3 – This task follows on the true statement, number two task two. If you don’t know anything
Message board: about this ban of hooded tops in some shopping centre, read some of the articles you
Have your say will find in the internet links above and you could even read one of these with higher level
students.
This task is adapted from the Newsround message board.
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.
4. Task 4 – This task is to get students practising clothes vocabulary and to think about formality of
England: Do you dress. Put students into groups of 3 or 4 and ask them to chose the ideal outfit for each
Dress code: occasion. If there are boys and girls in the group they can divide the boxes into two and
What to wear do one for males and one for females.
where?
5. Task 5 – Role This role play follows on from task 3 and gives students the chance to put themselves
play into the shoes of shopping centre manager and teenager. Put students into pairs, A is
the shopping centre manager and B is the hoodie. Give students time to read the
information carefully and think about what they might say. Monitor and give feedback on
good language/ errors.
6. Task 6 – Copy and cut up the statements and give a set to each small group of students or use
Dress code them to discuss as a whole class. Encourage students to expand on the topics and use
statements the statements as a starting point for a discussion. If necessary, you can review
language for agreeing, disagreeing and giving opinion.
Contributed by
Jo Budden