Exploring Work Types

Year Level

Year 7

Duration

50 minutes

Class Size

24 students

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Learning Objectives

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

• Define and distinguish between types of work arrangements: full time, part time, casual, contract workers, and business owners.
• Identify advantages and disadvantages associated with each type of work arrangement.
• Understand how these work types affect individuals and businesses in Australia.
• Use relevant economic and business terminology such as "income", "business", "goods and services", "costs and benefits".
• Develop answers to questions around the world of work using economic and business concepts.

Related Australian Curriculum Content Description:

• AC9HE7S05 (Year 7 Economics and Business): "Create descriptions and explanations, using economic and business knowledge, concepts and terms".
• AC9HE7K02 (Year 7 Economics and Business): Understanding business types and purpose, foundational for understanding business owners as a work type.
• AC9HE7K03 (Characteristics of entrepreneurs and business owners)— to understand business owners in the world of work context.

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Lesson Resources

• Whiteboard/blackboard or interactive display
• Printed worksheets with job type definitions and scenarios
• Index cards with work types and pros/cons (for group activity)
• Projector or screen for video clips (optional)
• Sticky notes and pens

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Begin with a warm-up question: "Can anyone name different kinds of jobs or ways people work?"
• Write student responses on the board.
• Introduce the topic: "Today we will explore the different types of work and what advantages and disadvantages they bring to workers and businesses."
• Briefly explain the lesson outcome and relevance to their lives.

2. Explanation and Definitions (10 minutes)

• Present clear definitions of the following work types:
  • Full-time: Working the standard hours of employment, usually 38 per week in Australia.
  • Part-time: Fewer hours than full-time, but ongoing employment.
  • Casual: Irregular hours, often no guarantee of ongoing work; paid higher hourly rates to compensate for lack of benefits.
  • Contract workers: Employed for a fixed period or project with a contract.
  • Business owners: Individuals who own and run businesses, responsible for employment decisions.
• Display definitions visually.
• Discuss briefly the role each plays in Australia’s economy and workforce.

3. Group Activity – Advantages and Disadvantages (20 minutes)

• Divide the class into 5 groups, assign each group one type of work.
• Give each group a worksheet and index cards outlining possible advantages and disadvantages of their assigned work type.
• Ask them to discuss and organise the cards into pros and cons, then prepare to share their findings.
• Examples of prompts:
  • For full-time: stability vs. less flexibility.
  • For casual: flexibility vs. job insecurity.
  • For contract: clear timeframe vs. no ongoing employment.
  • For business owners: independence vs. financial risk.

4. Group Presentations and Class Discussion (10 minutes)

• Each group shares their pros and cons.
• Teacher facilitates discussion, encouraging other students to ask questions or add comments.
• Highlight connections between types (e.g., someone may start casual then move to part-time or business owner).
• Help students use economic/business terms such as “income”, “employment benefits”, “job security”, and “entrepreneurial risk” in discussion.

5. Consolidation and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Ask students to write on a sticky note one advantage and one disadvantage they found most interesting.
• Place sticky notes on a board labelled “World of Work”.
• Summarise key points and reinforce that understanding different work types helps people make decisions about jobs and careers.

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Assessment and Follow-up

• Informal assessment through group presentation participation and class discussion.
• Collect worksheets to check understanding of advantages and disadvantages.
• For homework or next lesson: Students can research and bring an example of a local business owner or worker in one of the employment types and share a short paragraph on their workplace and work type.

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Cross-Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities

• Literacy: Using and understanding economic and business terms in context.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: Analysing advantages and disadvantages.
• Personal and Social Capability: Understanding roles in community and economy.
• Ethical understanding: Discussing fairness and security in different work arrangements.

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This lesson plan aligns with the Australian Curriculum Version 9 for Year 7 Economics and Business, particularly focusing on understanding economic and business environments, work types, and entrepreneurial concepts connected with the local and wider economy.

It uses an engaging group activity to increase collaboration and critical thinking, supported by clear definitions and real-world applications to relate theory to student experience and future workforce participation.