Shopping for clothes
The purpose of this section is for the children to find out where people go to buy clothes. Examples are given of shops and a shopping centre. With the help of the class teacher children could compare these the those in their locality. A quiz is included for children to find what each shop sells.
Guidelines on how to teach content
Key objectives of this section:
That the children would be enabled to:
- discuss where clothes can be bought
- identify and record simply the buildings and places where clothes can be bought both in and out of the locality (e.g. a shopping centre )
- record simply the location of specific clothes shops on a picture
- become aware of the work of people in other areas who supply food and other products to us (e.g. clothes)
Background
The children can complete the shopping section activities from this section on the website. These can be done individually or in small groups on computers. Alternatively the teacher can display the relevant web pages to the class using a data projector. The web pages could also be printed off and used as worksheet type activities, however, the main emphasis of the Ask About Ireland site is that children be given opportunities to explore activities and information about clothing in a way which promotes ICT skills and so few of the activities are worksheet type tasks.
In the past most people depended on the facilities of their local towns to buy clothes, since transport further afield was often unavailable or too expensive. Transport developments in the recent past have meant that shopping trips to the nearest city or town have become a more regular occurrence. Shopping centres, located on the outskirts of the main urban centres, are a relatively recent phenomenon. "The Square" in Tallaght, Dublin, which opened in October 1990, is one such example, as is The Mahon Centre in Cork. Currently, the Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin, opened in 2004, is the largest shopping centre in Ireland and a recent winner of the title European Shopping Centre of the Year.
Starting points: Shopping for Clothing
Why do we buy new clothes? (To replace older, worn clothes, new fashions, clothes too small. Relate to history lesson for 1st/2nd.)
- Where do we go to buy new clothes?
- Can you name the different types of clothes shops?
- Where would you go in the local town to buy shoes, hat, coat, boys' clothes, girls' clothes, baby clothes? (Identify and record these on the board or on a map of a town)
- Are there shops which sell electric goods or fishing tackle?
- Are there shops that only sell adults / teenagers / children / babies clothes?
- How are these the same / different?
- Are there any shops that cater for the whole family?
- How are these the same different as the other shops?
Developing the unit
Ask the children to identify where else they might go to buy clothes and to possibly locate these places on a map of the county/country.
- Have you ever been to big shopping centre? Where? What was it like?
- Journey: How did you travel there? How else might you have travelled there?
- Would you prefer to go to the shopping centre or your local town?
- What is your favourite clothes item? clothes shop? Why?
The children could also be encouraged to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of shopping in the shopping centre and local town. (examples of disadvantages shopping centres often involve greater transport costs, takes longer to get there than to a local shop, but have greater choice, sometimes can offer free parking, cinemas etc)
Extension possibilities:
Creative writing: A trip to the shops;
The Magic Trousers
Maths (Data): Pictogram - Our favourite shop/shopping centre.
Visual Arts (Construction) 3D representations of a scene from a local town/shopping centre. Or, cut some A4 paper into quarters and distribute a piece to each child. Children can use this to draw a picture of their favourite shop/shopping centre. These are then collated into a group pictogram. Questions can be composed based on the information displayed.