Lesson Plan

• Define gender equality, family roles, and changing relationships in sociological terms.
• Compare at least three theoretical perspectives on gender equality within the family, noting their strengths and limitations.
• Analyse recent UK data on labour market participation, unpaid care, and family‑structure changes.
• Evaluate how these perspectives explain contemporary experiences of family life.
• Apply a theory‑evidence‑evaluation framework to construct exam‑style answers.

• Projector and screen for slides/diagram.
• Printed handout with key concepts, theory table, and UK statistics.
• Whiteboard and markers for group brainstorming.
• Laptop with internet access for quick data lookup.
• Sticky notes for the exit‑ticket activity.

Begin with the question, “If men and women share a household, should their roles be identical?” Connect this to students’ own experiences of chores and ask how expectations have shifted over the past decade. Explain that today they will define core concepts, compare sociological perspectives, and use UK data to evaluate gender equality in families. Success criteria are stated: accurate definitions, clear comparison of theories, and evidence‑based evaluation.

1. Do‑now (5') – Students write on sticky notes the household tasks they perform and place them on a board.
2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Define key concepts and present a concise table of functionalism, Marxist/conflict, liberal feminist, radical feminist, and post‑structural/queer perspectives.
3. Data analysis activity (12') – In pairs, examine provided UK statistics on employment rates, gender pay gap, and unpaid care hours; answer guiding questions about trends and implications.
4. Group discussion (8') – Pairs share findings; class debates which perspective best explains the data, highlighting strengths and limitations.
5. Exam practice writing (10') – Students outline a short answer to a sample exam prompt using the theory‑evidence‑evaluation structure.
6. Consolidation (5') – Teacher summarises key take‑aways; students complete an exit ticket stating one insight and the theory they find most persuasive.

Recap the definitions, the contrasting perspectives, and how the UK evidence supports or challenges each view. Students write an exit ticket naming the theory they consider most convincing and why. For homework, read a short case study on same‑sex couples and prepare a brief reflection to discuss in the next lesson.