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Fatherhood lessons to help families stay together (4th January, 2015)

The Reading / Listening - Level 3

The British government has started a new project to help men manage the responsibilities of fatherhood. Fathers will be able to attend workshops and take lessons on how to be a better father. The new scheme hopes to slow down the rate of family breakdown in the U.K. Over a million British children are growing up without a father. A survey said that a 16-year-old in Britain is more likely to own a smartphone than have a father. One of the project's leaders, Iain Duncan Smith, told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper that: "It is not only the bond between a mother and her child which makes a real difference to a child's life. It is the bond between a father and his child too."

The new classes will be for men only. They will prepare fathers for how having a new baby will change their relationship. Lessons will help new fathers to develop relationship and communication skills. Other classes will help them to understand what can go wrong and where to go for further support. Mr Smith wants the rate of divorce in the U.K. to go down. He said: "Divorce does harm to children, affecting everything from school work to eating habits, as well as their relationship with mum and dad." He spoke of the importance of helping families, saying: "If we are serious about promoting a strong society, then we also have to be serious about seeking to support and strengthen families."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 0, Level 1 or Level 2

Sources

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2893961/Men-lessons-parenting-slow-rate-family-breakdown-survey-reveals-teenagers-likely-smartphones-fathers-home.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/fatherhood/11321755/Fatherhood-lessons-wont-stop-families-breaking-up.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30658123

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. FATHERHOOD: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about fatherhood. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

government / responsibilities / lessons / scheme / growing up / smartphone / bond / classes / relationship / support / divorce / eating habits / importance / society

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES: What are the responsibilities of a father? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Responsibilities	How important?
Diapers
Feeding
Discipline
Play
Night-time
Mother

4. CLASSES: Students A strongly believe all fathers should take fatherhood classes; Students B strongly believe this is unnecessary. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. FATHER: Rank these with your partner. Put the most important things a father should have at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• patience

• a sense of humour

• playfulness

• fairness

• cooking skills

• fitness

• energy

• time

6. DIVORCE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "divorce". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	The British government has started fatherhood lessons for men.	T / F
b.	The government hopes to stop families breaking up.	T / F
c.	More UK 16-year-olds have a smartphone than have a father at home.	T / F
d.	A newspaper said the mother-child bond is the most important.	T / F
e.	Mothers and fathers can attend the fatherhood classes.	T / F
f.	Classes will tell fathers where they can go if they need help.	T / F
g.	A Mr Smith said divorce had no effect on children's eating habits.	T / F
h.	Smith said the government is not serious about strengthening families.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	project	a.	alter
2.	manage	b.	probable
3.	rate	c.	encouraging
4.	likely	d.	cope with
5.	bond	e.	more
6.	change	f.	help
7.	further	g.	scheme
8.	support	h.	trying
9.	promoting	i.	speed
10.	seeking	j.	relationship

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	help men manage the responsibilities	a.	communication skills
2.	Fathers will be able to attend	b.	a mother and her child
3.	growing	c.	strengthen families
4.	likely to own a	d.	their relationship
5.	the bond between	e.	workshops
6.	having a new baby will change	f.	further support
7.	develop relationship and	g.	of helping families
8.	where to go for	h.	of fatherhood
9.	He spoke of the importance	i.	smartphone
10.	seeking to support and	j.	up without a father

GAP FILL

The British government has started a new project to help men (1) ____________ the responsibilities of fatherhood. Fathers will be able to (2) ____________ workshops and take lessons on how to be a better father. The new scheme hopes to slow down the (3) ____________ of family breakdown in the U.K. Over a million British children are (4) ____________ up without a father. A survey said that a 16-year-old in Britain is more likely to (5) ____________ a smartphone than have a father. One of the project's (6) ____________, Iain Duncan Smith, told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper that: "It is not only the (7) ____________ between a mother and her child which makes a (8) ____________ difference to a child's life. It is the bond between a father and his child too."

own
attend
leaders
manage
real
rate
bond
growing

The new classes will be for men (9) ____________. They will prepare fathers for how having a new baby will change their relationship. Lessons will help new fathers to (10) ____________ relationship and communication skills. Other classes will help them to understand what can go (11) ____________ and where to go for further support. Mr Smith wants the rate of (12) ____________ in the U.K. to go down. He said: "Divorce does harm to children, (13) ____________ everything from school work to eating (14) ____________, as well as their relationship with mum and dad." He spoke of the importance of helping families, saying: "If we are (15) ____________ about promoting a strong society, then we also have to be serious about seeking to support and (16) ____________ families."

develop
affecting
serious
wrong
strengthen
only
habits
divorce

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	The British government has started a new project to ______
	a. help men manager b. help men managed c. help men manages d. help men manage
2)	Fathers will be able to attend workshops and take lessons on how to ______
	a. be the better father b. be all better father c. be a better father d. be as better father
3)	The new scheme hopes to slow down the rate of ______
	a. family breakdowns b. family broke down c. family breaking down d. family breakdown
4)	A survey said that a 16-year-old in Britain is more likely to own a smartphone ______
	a. than have a father b. than have the father c. than have father d. than have one father
5)	the bond between a mother and her child which makes a real difference ______
	a. to a child's live b. to a child's life's c. to a child's life d. to a child's lively
6)	They will prepare fathers for how having a new baby ______ relationship
	a. will change their b. will change them c. will change they d. will change there
7)	Lessons will help new fathers to develop relationship and ______
	a. communicating skills b. communicate in skills c. communication skills d. communicate skills
8)	help them to understand what can go wrong and where to go ______
	a. for farther support b. for further support c. for father support d. for future support
9)	Divorce does harm to children, affecting everything from school work ______
	a. to eating habit b. to eating habits c. to eating habitual d. to eat-in habits
10)	then we also have to be serious about seeking to support and ______
	a. strengthens families b. strengthened families c. strengthen families d. strengthening families

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

The British government (1) ___________________ project to help men manage the responsibilities of fatherhood. Fathers will be able to attend workshops and take lessons (2) ___________________ better father. The new scheme hopes to (3) ___________________ of family breakdown in the U.K. Over a million British children are growing up without a father. A survey said that a 16-year-old in Britain is (4) ___________________ a smartphone than have a father. One of the project's leaders, Iain Duncan Smith, told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper that: "It (5) ___________________ bond between a mother and her child which makes a real difference to a child's life. It (6) ___________________ a father and his child too."

The new classes (7) ___________________ only. They will prepare fathers for how having a new baby will change their relationship. Lessons will help (8) ___________________ relationship and communication skills. Other classes will help them to understand what can go (9) ___________________ go for further support. Mr Smith wants the rate of divorce in the U.K. to go down. He said: "Divorce (10) ___________________ children, affecting everything from school work to eating habits, (11) ___________________ relationship with mum and dad." He spoke of the importance of helping families, saying: "If we are serious about promoting a strong society, then we also have to be serious about (12 ) ___________________ and strengthen families."

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	Who started the new fatherhood project?
2.	What does the project aim to slow down the rate of?
3.	How many British kids grow up without a father?
4.	What are British 16-year-olds more likely to have than a father?
5.	Who is Iain Duncan Smith?
6.	Who are the new classes for?
7.	What skills will lessons help new fathers develop?
8.	What does Mr Smith want to happen to the divorce rate?
9.	What habits did Mr Smith say divorce damaged?
10.	What did Mr Smith say the government should strengthen?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	Who started the new fatherhood project?	6.	Who are the new classes for?
	a) British mothers b) Fathers United c) the British government d) children		a) anyone b) men only c) children d) men and women
2.	What does the project aim to slow down the rate of?	7.	What skills will lessons help new fathers develop?
	a) family breakdown b) population growth c) homelessness d) two-child families		a) playing games b) bottle feeding c) diaper changing d) communication skills
3.	How many British kids grow up without a father?	8.	What does Mr Smith want to happen to the divorce rate?
	a) 895,522 b) over a million c) millions d) hundreds of thousands		a) stabilise b) he wants it to go down c) nothing d) become zero
4.	What are British 16-year-olds more likely to have than a father?	9.	What habits did Mr Smith say divorce damaged?
	a) a relative with a war medal b) two uncles and five cousins c) three aunts d) a smartphone		a) learned b) eating c) bath d) bad
5.	Who is Iain Duncan Smith?	10.	What did Mr Smith say the government should strengthen?
	a) a software engineer b) a child c) a project leader d) a teacher		a) families b) the economy c) the army d) people

ROLE PLAY

Role A – Energy

You think it is most important for a father to have energy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't so necessary. Also, tell the others which is the least necessary of these (and why): a sense of humour, intelligence or patience.

Role B – A sense of humour

You think it is most important for a father to have a sense of humour. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't so necessary. Also, tell the others which is the least necessary of these (and why): patience, intelligence or energy.

Role C – Intelligence

You think it is most important for a father to have intelligence. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't so necessary. Also, tell the others which is the least necessary of these (and why): a sense of humour, patience or energy.

Role D – Patience

You think it is most important for a father to have patience. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't so necessary. Also, tell the others which is the least necessary of these (and why): a sense of humour, intelligence or energy.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'rate' and 'divorce'.

rate

divorce

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

started
take
rate
likely
one
life

only
develop
wrong
harm
spoke
serious

FATHERHOOD SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about fatherhood in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

FATHERHOOD DISCUSSION

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1)	What did you think when you read the headline?
2)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'father'?
3)	What do you think of the fatherhood lessons project?
4)	How difficult is it to be a good father?
5)	What advice would you have for new fathers?
6)	What are the main responsibilities a father has?
7)	How can governments help reduce family breakdowns?
8)	Should children stay with the mother or father after a divorce?
9)	How are fathers and mothers different for a child?
10)	Are (would you be) a good father / mother?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

11)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12)	Should the classes be for men only?
13)	What do men need to do to prepare for fatherhood?
14)	What do you think men should learn in the fatherhood classes?
15)	How does a new baby affect the relationship between the parents?
16)	How serious a problem is divorce?
17)	What should couples do to avoid divorce?
18)	How does divorce harm children?
19)	How important is a strong family?
20)	What questions would you like to ask the class leaders?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

The British government has (1) ____ a new project to help men manage the responsibilities of fatherhood. Fathers will be (2) ____ to attend workshops and take lessons on how to be a better father. The new (3) ____ hopes to slow down the rate of family breakdown in the U.K. Over a million British children are (4) ____ up without a father. A survey said that a 16-year-old in Britain is more (5) ____ to own a smartphone than have a father. One of the project's leaders, Iain Duncan Smith, told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper that: "It is not only the bond between a mother and her child which (6) ____ a real difference to a child's life. It is the bond between a father and his child too."

The new classes will be for men only. They will (7) ____ fathers for how having a new baby will change their relationship. Lessons will help new fathers to develop relationship and communication (8) ____. Other classes will help them to understand what can go wrong and where to go for (9) ____ support. Mr Smith wants the rate of divorce in the U.K. to go down. He said: "Divorce does harm to children, (10) ____ everything from school work to eating habits, as well as their relationship with mum and dad." He spoke of the importance (11) ____ helping families, saying: "If we are serious about promoting a strong society, then we also have to be serious (12) ____ seeking to support and strengthen families."

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	started	(b)	stated	(c)	starting	(d)	stating
2.	(a)	ability	(b)	abled	(c)	able	(d)	capability
3.	(a)	roster	(b)	schedule	(c)	scheme	(d)	action
4.	(a)	grow	(b)	grows	(c)	grown	(d)	growing
5.	(a)	likely	(b)	liked	(c)	likes	(d)	liking
6.	(a)	does	(b)	makes	(c)	be	(d)	have
7.	(a)	spare	(b)	compare	(c)	diaper	(d)	prepare
8.	(a)	talents	(b)	skills	(c)	gifts	(d)	abilities
9.	(a)	farther	(b)	future	(c)	further	(d)	father
10.	(a)	affects	(b)	affect	(c)	affection	(d)	affecting
11.	(a)	on	(b)	at	(c)	by	(d)	of
12.	(a)	for	(b)	about	(c)	to	(d)	on

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	started a new rojpcte
2.	help men anameg
3.	eadttn workshops and take lessons
4.	A ysuevr said that…
5.	more elylik to own a smartphone
6.	makes a real nerfeifdce to a child's life
Paragraph 2
7.	They will rpeaper fathers for…
8.	change their iaoiepshnltr
9.	where to go for frruhet support
10.	the cipoemrnta of helping families
11.	promoting a strong ictyeso
12.	support and sntheenrtg families

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	skills. Other classes will help them to understand what can go wrong and where to go for further
( 1 )	The British government has started a new project to help men manage the responsibilities of
( )	The new classes will be for men only. They will prepare fathers for how having a new baby will change their
( )	support. Mr Smith wants the rate of divorce in the U.K. to go down. He said: "Divorce does
( )	harm to children, affecting everything from school work to eating habits, as well as their relationship with
( )	relationship. Lessons will help new fathers to develop relationship and communication
( )	mum and dad." He spoke of the importance of helping families, saying: "If we are serious about promoting a
( )	children are growing up without a father. A survey said that a 16-year-old in Britain is more likely to own a
( )	difference to a child's life. It is the bond between a father and his child too."
( )	fatherhood. Fathers will be able to attend workshops and take lessons on how to be a better
( )	newspaper that: "It is not only the bond between a mother and her child which makes a real
( )	smartphone than have a father. One of the project's leaders, Iain Duncan Smith told Britain's Daily Mail
( )	father. The new scheme hopes to slow down the rate of family breakdown in the U.K. Over a million British
( )	strong society, then we also have to be serious about seeking to support and strengthen families."

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	project to Started help a men new manage .
2.	how a on be father lessons to better Take .
3.	of rate the down Slow breakdown family .
4.	growing up British without children a are father .
5.	bond the is It too child his and father a between .
6.	classes only will be The for new men .
7.	to wrong understand what Help can them go .
8.	go further to for support Where .
9.	families the importance He of spoke helping of .
10.	about promoting We a are strong serious society .

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

The British government has started / stated a new project to help men manage the responsibilities of fatherhood. Fathers will be ability / able to attend workshops and take lessons on how / what to be a better father. The new scheme hopes to slow / slowly down the rate of family breakdown in the U.K. Over / More a million British children are growing up without a father. A survey said / talked that a 16-year-old in Britain is more likely to owning / own a smartphone than have a / the father. One of the project's leaders, Iain Duncan Smith, told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper that: "It is not only the bond / bonded between a mother and her child which makes a real difference to a child's live / life. It is the bond between a father and his child too."

The new classes will be for men just / only. They will prepare fathers for how having a new baby will change their / them relationship. Lessons will help new fathers to / for develop relationship and communication skills / skillful. Other classes will help them to understand what can go / went wrong and where to go for farther / further support. Mr Smith wants the rate of divorce in the U.K. to go down. He said: "Divorce does harmful / harm to children, affecting everything from school work to eating habits, as well as their relationship for / with mum and dad." He spoke of the importance of helping families, saying: "If we are serious / seriously about promoting a strong society, then we also have to be serious about seeking for / to support and strengthen families."

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

Th_ Br_t_sh g_v_rnm_nt h_s st_rt_d _ n_w pr_j_ct t_ h_lp m_n m_n_g_ th_ r_sp_ns_b_l_t__s _f f_th_rh__d. F_th_rs w_ll b_ _bl_ t_ _tt_nd w_rksh_ps _nd t_k_ l_ss_ns _n h_w t_ b_ _ b_tt_r f_th_r. Th_ n_w sch_m_ h_p_s t_ sl_w d_wn th_ r_t_ _f f_m_ly br__kd_wn _n th_ _.K. _v_r _ m_ll__n Br_t_sh ch_ldr_n _r_ gr_w_ng _p w_th__t _ f_th_r. _ s_rv_y s__d th_t _ 16-y__r-_ld _n Br_t__n _s m_r_ l_k_ly t_ _wn _ sm_rtph_n_ th_n h_v_ _ f_th_r. _n_ _f th_ pr_j_ct's l__d_rs, ___n D_nc_n Sm_th, t_ld Br_t__n's D__ly M__l n_wsp_p_r th_t: "_t _s n_t _nly th_ b_nd b_tw__n _ m_th_r _nd h_r ch_ld wh_ch m_k_s _ r__l d_ff_r_nc_ t_ _ ch_ld's l_f_. _t _s th_ b_nd b_tw__n _ f_th_r _nd h_s ch_ld t__."

Th_ n_w cl_ss_s w_ll b_ f_r m_n _nly. Th_y w_ll pr_p_r_ f_th_rs f_r h_w h_v_ng _ n_w b_by w_ll ch_ng_ th__r r_l_t__nsh_p. L_ss_ns w_ll h_lp n_w f_th_rs t_ d_v_l_p r_l_t__nsh_p _nd c_mm_n_c_t__n sk_lls. _th_r cl_ss_s w_ll h_lp th_m t_ _nd_rst_nd wh_t c_n g_ wr_ng _nd wh_r_ t_ g_ f_r f_rth_r s_pp_rt. Mr Sm_th w_nts th_ r_t_ _f d_v_rc_ _n th_ _.K. t_ g_ d_wn. H_ s__d: "D_v_rc_ d__s h_rm t_ ch_ldr_n, _ff_ct_ng _v_ryth_ng fr_m sch__l w_rk t_ __t_ng h_b_ts, _s w_ll _s th__r r_l_t__nsh_p w_th m_m _nd d_d." H_ sp_k_ _f th_ _mp_rt_nc_ _f h_lp_ng f_m_l__s, s_y_ng: "_f w_ _r_ s_r___s _b__t pr_m_t_ng _ str_ng s_c__ty, th_n w_ _ls_ h_v_ t_ b_ s_r___s _b__t s__k_ng t_ s_pp_rt _nd str_ngth_n f_m_l__s."

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

the british government has started a new project to help men manage the responsibilities of fatherhood fathers will be able to attend workshops and take lessons on how to be a better father the new scheme hopes to slow down the rate of family breakdown in the uk over a million british children are growing up without a father a survey said that a 16-year-old in britain is more likely to own a smartphone than have a father one of the project's leaders iain duncan smith told britain's daily mail newspaper that "it is not only the bond between a mother and her child which makes a real difference to a child's life it is the bond between a father and his child too"

the new classes will be for men only they will prepare fathers for how having a new baby will change their relationship lessons will help new fathers to develop relationship and communication skills other classes will help them to understand what can go wrong and where to go for further support mr smith wants the rate of divorce in the uk to go down he said "divorce does harm to children affecting everything from school work to eating habits as well as their relationship with mum and dad" he spoke of the importance of helping families saying "if we are serious about promoting a strong society then we also have to be serious about seeking to support and strengthen families"

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TheBritishgovernmenthasstartedanewprojecttohelpmenmanageth
eresponsibilitiesoffatherhood.Fatherswillbeabletoattendworkshops
andtakelessonsonhowtobeabetterfather.Thenewschemehopestoslo
wdowntherateoffamilybreakdownintheU.K.OveramillionBritishchild
renaregrowingupwithoutafather.Asurveysaidthata16-year-oldi
nBritainismorelikelytoownasmartphonethanhaveafather.Oneofthe
project'sleaders,IainDuncanSmithtoldBritain'sDailyMailnewspapert
hat:"Itisnotonlythebondbetweenamotherandherchildwhichmakesa
realdifferencetoachild'slife.Itisthebondbetweenafatherandhischildt
oo."Thenewclasseswillbeformenonly.Theywillpreparefathersforhow
havinganewbabywillchangetheirrelationship.Lessonswillhelpnewfat
herstodeveloprelationshipandcommunicationskills.Otherclasseswill
helpthemtounderstandwhatcangowrongandwheretogoforfurthersu
pport.MrSmithwantstherateofdivorceintheU.K.togodown.Hesaid:"
Divorcedoesharmtochildren,affectingeverythingfromschoolworktoe
atinghabits,aswellastheirrelationshipwithmumanddad."Hespokeoft
heimportanceofhelpingfamilies,saying:"Ifweareseriousaboutpromo
tingastrongsociety,thenwealsohavetobeseriousaboutseekingtosup
portandstrengthenfamilies."

FREE WRITING

Write about fatherhood for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

Being a father is more difficult than being a mother. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about fatherhood. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. FATHERHOOD: Make a poster about fatherhood. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. PARENTHOOD: Write a magazine article about the differences between motherhood and fatherhood. Who has the most difficult job? Include imaginary interviews with mothers and fathers.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on fatherhood. Ask him/her three questions about fatherhood. Give him/her three of your ideas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

T

b

T

c

T

d

F

e

F

f

T

g

F

h

F

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	project	a.	scheme
2	manage	b.	cope with
3.	rate	c.	speed
4.	likely	d.	probable
5.	bond	e.	relationship
6.	change	f.	alter
7.	further	g.	more
8.	support	h.	help
9.	promoting	i.	encouraging
10.	seeking	j.	trying

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	The British government
2.	Family breakdown
3.	Over a million
4.	A smartphone
5.	One of the project's leaders
6.	Men Only
7.	Communication skills
8.	He wants it to go down
9.	Eating habits
10.	Families

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

c

2.

a

3.

b

4.

d

5.

c

6.

b

7.

d

8.

b

9.

b

10.

a

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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Fatherhood lessons to help families stay together (4th January, 2015)

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