Advertising and Reach

Year Level

Year 7

Duration

50 minutes

Class Size

25 students

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Unit Context

Navigating Economics Together
Lesson 20 of 30: Advertising and Consumer Reach
Focus: Examine how businesses use advertising to respond to consumer tastes and preferences.

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Curriculum Alignment

Western Australian Curriculum — Humanities and Social Sciences - Economics and Business (Year 7)
Key Content Descriptions:

• AC9HE7S05: Create descriptions and explanations using economic and business knowledge, concepts and terms, referencing information and data from sources.
• AC9HE7K02: The reasons businesses exist and how different types of businesses provide goods and services.
• AC9HE7S03: Interpret information and data to identify economic and business issues, trends and economic cause-and-effect relationships.

Elaborations for these content descriptors include understanding markets, consumer decision-making, and responding to consumer preferences through business activities like advertising.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain how advertising helps businesses respond to consumer tastes and preferences.
2. Identify different types of advertising methods and discuss their effectiveness.
3. Analyse how consumer choices are influenced by advertising.
4. Use economic and business terminology such as "consumer preferences," "advertising," "market," "goods and services," and "consumer decision-making."
5. Interpret simple data or examples showing links between advertising and consumer behaviour.

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Success Criteria

• Students actively participate in discussions and activities.
• Students correctly identify advertising methods and relate them to consumer tastes.
• Students demonstrate understanding by creating a brief advertising message tailored to a target audience.
• Ability to use relevant business and economic vocabulary in explanations.

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Lesson Overview & Timing

Time	Activity	Details
0-5 mins	Introduction	Brief recap of what markets are and consumer preferences. Introduce lesson focus on advertising.
5-15 mins	Whole-class Discussion	What is advertising? Why do businesses advertise? Use examples familiar to students (TV ads, social media, billboards).
15-25 mins	Video/Visual Analysis	Show short age-appropriate advertising clips (2-3 examples). Students identify the target consumer and message.
25-35 mins	Group Activity	In small groups (4-5), students design a simple advertisement for a product that matches a specific consumer group’s preferences. Provide templates or digital tools if available.
35-45 mins	Groups Present	Each group shares their advertisement and rationale. Discuss how it reflects consumer tastes and preferences.
45-50 mins	Wrap-Up and Assessment	Quick quiz or exit questions: Why do businesses use advertising? How does advertising reach consumers? Reflect on the learning objectives.

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Teaching Strategies & Resources

• Engaging visual and multimedia content: Use culturally relevant ads including some Australian and First Nations businesses if possible, to connect with local contexts.
• Group collaboration: Encourages social learning and communication skills.
• Interactive analysis: Stimulates critical thinking about consumer influence.
• Terminology focus: Reinforce use of curriculum terms through language scaffolding and glossaries.
• Assessment: Informal formative assessment through observation and quiz to gauge understanding.

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Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters or word banks for students needing literacy support.
• Challenge advanced students to consider ethical aspects of advertising or how advertising can sometimes mislead consumers.
• Use visual aids and examples for ESL learners or students requiring additional support.

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Assessment Ideas

• Observation of group work and presentations for participation and understanding.
• Exit quiz with short-answer questions linking advertising to consumer influence.
• Students create a short written or digital advertisement prototype reflecting a target audience's preferences.

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Sample Key Vocabulary

• Advertising
• Consumer tastes/preferences
• Market
• Goods and services
• Target audience
• Influence
• Persuasion
• Business strategy

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Example Exit Quiz Questions

1. Why do businesses advertise their products?
2. How does advertising influence what consumers choose to buy?
3. Name two types of advertising you saw today.
4. What is meant by a target audience in advertising?

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Reflection for Teachers

• Did students engage with the concept of advertising connected to consumer preferences?
• How well did students use economic/business terms?
• Did the group activity foster creativity and understanding?
• Were the videos and examples relevant and age-appropriate?
• Consider integrating local Australian business examples next session for added contextual relevance.

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This lesson plan uses key elements of the Western Australian Curriculum for Year 7 Economics and Business, specifically aligning with AC9HE7S05, AC9HE7K02, and AC9HE7S03, ensuring students learn to interpret and explain how advertising reflects consumer tastes and business strategies in the market system.