1. Teacher Notes
LESSON PLAN 1 HOUR - 2 HOUR SESSION
To develop learners’ skills in predicting information
To develop learners’ skills in reading to confirm expectations
To develop learners speaking and listening skills in the context of an
informal discussion on teenage pregnancies and possible solutions to
this issue
To develop learners’ skills in reading for gist and specific information
To review ways of asking questions in a formal context
To give learners practice in writing formal letters (focus on layout and
content)
To develop learners’ skills in proof reading
Sources- BBC news online, Sunday Independent, Metro online
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
Teacher writes the following headline: “Workhouses” for teenage
mothers
Teacher asks “what does this mean?” Learners discusss
(Feedback – elicit Victorian times)
TASK - PRE-READING ACTIVITY 15 MINS
Learners discuss
1) Why does the government want to send young mothers to
special centres?
2) Do you agree / not agree?
3) Why does the UK have the highest rate of teenage
pregnancies in Europe?
4) What else can the government do about this problem?
Feedback: Is there any other information you want to find out?
Questions on wipe board.
TASK - READING ACTIVITIES 15 MINS
Reading 1 – Text A (page 3) & Text B (page 3)
1) Why does the government want to send young mothers to special
centres?
2) Does everyone think the government’s proposed policy is a good one?
Learners read and answer questions before comparing with their partner.
Feedback
Reading 2 Differentiation
Questions on page 6 for weaker learners and on page 5 for stronger
student.
‘Workhouses’ for teenage mothers 1
‘Workhouses’ for teenage mothers
Created by Rena Basak Published by Jane Mansouri Guemili Hammersmith, Ealing and West London College
Gordon Brown delivers his keynote speech at the Labour Party
Conference. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Teacher pre-teaches – myth & abound and reinforcing
1) What is the name being given to these centres?
2) Will all teenagers have to go to these centres?
3) Will the young mothers be able to do what they
like in these centres or will there still be strict rules?
4) What myths are there concerning teenage
parents? (line 26-28)
5) Why will this proposed policy lead to people
believing even more in these myths?
Learners compare and feedback.

2. TASK - DISCUSSION ACTIVITY 30 MINS
Further Reading
Decide if the writer is for or against the policy - see writer
comments opposite.
Discussion
Who do you agree with then?
TASK - LANGUAGE FOCUS ACTIVITIES 30 MINS
Language Focus 1 – embedded questions /direct questions - see
Language Focus 1
Context: teacher tells learners that they are going to write a letter
to Gordon Brown about the foyers. Teacher tells learners to think of
questions they would like answering.
‘Workhouses for Teenage
Mothers’
WRITER COMMENTS
The current system obviously isn't working and even acts as an
incentive for young women to get pregnant. Of course we need to
protect young women and their children but we are doing them no
favours by sticking them in grotty council flats and condemning
them to a life lived on handouts from the taxpayer. Hopefully the
new scheme will encourage girls to aspire to more than collecting
their benefits and give their children a better start in life.
Karen, London
I was in a 'mother and baby' home for some months - not as a
teenager, and through no fault of my own. Putting teenage
mothers together in one of these places and expecting it to help
with the upbringing of the children is ridiculous! There was bicker-
ing, fighting, stealing and even physical violence. Post was stolen,
visitors were subject to items being dropped on them from upper
windows, the shared kitchen was a joke with regard to corporate
sharing and there was no form of order in place by the live-in
couple who ran the place. The children did not learn anything
other than how to put self first and that often resulted in yet more
stealth and violence. If we want to teach teenagers how to be-
come parents we need to lead the way by example. It they do
not have a suitable role model in their family, then we should give
them one by way of neighbours. What a shame we no longer
have the extended families who can help and instruct, and that
our children are not taught the wisdom of listening to and learning
from our elders.
Helen, Devon
These young girls do not and will never pay their own way. the
tax payer should not be left to foot the bill. They should live in
supervised homes in the cheapest possible way, and if they don't
like it, they know where the door is. I say Gordon Brown should
push things even further and make them pay the costs back when,
errr sorry, if they ever get a job!!!!!
Mark Carmody, Sunderland
I think the wording used here is horrible. Having been a young
mum at 17 and managed perfectly fine to continue at college and
then uni, and look after my child 'properly', despite living in a
council house for the first year, i think GB has totally misunder-
stood the issues here. If the aim was to provide optional support
for those who are struggling then fair enough but to assume all
young parents are irresponsible, cant look after their children and
shouldn't be trusted on their own is a pretty ignorant viewpoint so
any policy based on this is flawed in my opinion.....
Kittyb1979
Comments were taken from BBC news on line & the
independent on Sunday
LANGUAGE FOCUS 1
You want to ask Gordon Brown the following questions in a letter:
• Why do you want foyers to be set up?
• Do you think these foyers will help the girls become better mothers?
• How much will it cost to set up one of these foyers?
• How do you explain the fact that the UK has the highest rate of
teenage pregnancies in Europe?
• Who is to blame for this?
• What else can be done to reduce this rate?
You want to ask Gordon Brown the following questions in a letter:
• Why do you want foyers to be set up?
• Do you think these foyers will help the girls become better mothers?
• How much will it cost to set up one of these foyers?
• How do you explain the fact that the UK has the highest rate of teenage
pregnancies in Europe?
• Who is to blame for this?
• What else can be done to reduce this rate?
• Could you tell me……………..?
• I would be grateful if you…………….
• I also need to know……………
• I was wondering if you could……..
• It is important for me to know……….
• Would you mind …………………..?
• Do you think you could possibly……..?
• Could you tell me……………..?
• I would be grateful if you…………….
• I also need to know……………
• I was wondering if you could……..
• It is important for me to know……….
• Would you mind …………………..?
• Do you think you could possibly……..?
Teacher boards questions and asks if direct questions are
appropriate in a formal letter. Elicit ways of asking indirect
questions – see language box for exponents.
Learners work in pairs and transform direct questions into
indirect ones using exponents.
‘Workhouses for Teenage Mothers 2 Created by Rena Basak Published by Jane Mansouri Guemili Hammersmith, Ealing and West London College

3. ‘Workhouses for Teenage Mothers 3Created by Rena Basak Published by Jane Mansouri Guemili Hammersmith, Ealing and West London College
Language Focus 2 – see letter
Further language task: Learners discuss how the
letter can be improved. Focus on indirect questions:
e.g I would like to know / Could you tell me etc.
Learners also correct spelling mistakes. Feedback.
TASK - WRITING ACTIVITY 30 MINS
Learners write their own letters to the managers of
the foyers.
Differentiation
Stronger learners write to Gordon Brown
and express their views.
Either : Write to Gordon Brown and tell him what
you think about his proposed policy.
Or : You have a friend who is pregnant. The foyer
in your area has offered her a place. She has
asked you to write to the foyer in order to find out
more information about it.
Write a letter to the manager of the foyer
• explain why you are writing
• tell the manager that your friend is not sure if she
should move to the foyer or stay at home with
her parents
• ask about the bedroom your friend will be
staying in. Will she be sharing? Will she have
her own room?
• find out what your friend will be able to do at
the foyer during the day. You want to know if
TEXT A
Young mothers will be sent to special centres where they are taught to be good par-
ents instead of getting council houses under plans unveiled yesterday.
The so-called Foyers will house up to 100 teenagers and operate strict regimes.
Those who want to stay living with their parents will be allowed.
But all 16 and 17-yearolds who want local authority accommodation will be put in
supported housing.
They will have to sign pledges promising good behaviour and will be moved to an-
other centre if they break them. Local authorities will be given £30million over three
years to build homes that can take 500 young people.
The hard-line plans have worried charities and risk a row with Labour MPs.
But Gordon Brown said he was determined to "address a problem that for too long
has gone unspoken, the number of children having children". The PM declared: "It
cannot be right for a girl of 16 to get pregnant, be given the keys to a council house
and be left on her own. From now on, all 16 and 17-yearold parents who get sup-
port from the taxpayer will be placed in a network of supervised homes.
"These shared homes will offer not just a roof over their heads but a new start in life
where they learn responsibility and how to raise their children properly."
But Fiona Weir, of single parent charity Gingerbread, warned: "Damaging myths
abound about young parents.
"Far from 'being handed the keys to a council flat' young people under 18 are in fact
not allowed to hold a tenancy.
"Most teenage parents already live at home and homeless under 18s are already
supposed to be get supported accommodation by their local authority."
www.mirror.co.uk 29.09.09
TEXT B
Teenage mothers are to be placed in supervised homes, Gordon Brown an-
nounced yesterday.
In his speech yesterday at the Labour Party Conference, he said in his speech: “I
stand with the people who are sick and tired of others playing by different rules
or no rules at all”.
But critics said the plan for dealing with young mothers smacked of the Victorian
workhouses.
He declared war on 16 and 17 year old mothers on benefits, saying that from
2012 they would all be offered a place in a network of shared “supervised
homes” where they would learn about responsibility and how to raise their chil-
dren properly”.
Mr Brown told conference: “That’s better for them, better for their babies and bet-
ter for us all in the long run”.
Campaign group Big Brother Watch said of his plans for teenage mothers: “It
sounds like going back to the Victorian era of hiding away the unfortunate souls
of British society.
Charity Gingerbread said he was reinforcing myths about single mothers.
www.metro.co.uk 30.09.09
LANGUAGE FOCUS 2 - LETTER
Dear Sir,
I am writting on behalf of my friend who is pregant and has been
ofered a place in one of your foyers. She is not certaine that this will
be the place for her to go to with her new kid. She has asked me to
write to you in order to get more information.
Firstley she wants to know what will her bedroom be like? She does-
n’t want to share with others. Will she have her own room?
She is alos interested in knowing what facilities their will be in the
foyer. Will She be able to cook for herself. Will she have her own
bathroom? Is their a television?
Finally she wants to know if guest can bring there friends. She is in
love with her boyfriend and it is important that she can see him and
he can see his son.
It would be good if we could come and meet you. We can come to
your office at any time
your friend will be able to go out.
• find out about the food. Will there be facilities
for your friend to use?
• ask if your friend will be able to receive friends
and family
• ask if you can come and visit the foyer with your friend to
meet the manager and see the foyer
Your address is 30 Gloucester Place, London NW10 8HY