Getting Market Ready

Lesson Overview

This 55-minute lesson is designed for Year 9/10 students undertaking a Commerce subject in New South Wales, Australia. The focus is to introduce students to market structures and prepare them for an upcoming School Market Day Project, using an engaging, interactive and collaborative approach. Given the class includes many EAL/D (English as an Additional Language or Dialect) students, activities include visual aids, peer collaboration, simplified vocabulary explanations, and opportunities for kinaesthetic and practical learning.

This lesson is aligned with the NSW Commerce Syllabus (2022, Stage 5), specifically addressing the following outcomes:

• CO5-ECB-01: Explains economic and business concepts and processes.
• CO5-DEC-01: Investigates and assesses factors affecting decisions.
• CO5-PRO-01: Evaluates and applies options for solving problems and addressing issues.
• CO5-FIN-01: Applies strategies to manage financial risks and rewards in the current financial landscape.
• CO5-COM-01: Selects and uses a range of information sources and terminology to communicate concepts and ideas.

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Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Learning Intentions:

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

• Define and explain the concept of a market.
• Identify participants in a marketplace and basic types of markets.
• Explain supply and demand in a simplified form.
• Understand roles in a business team and basic business functions.
• Develop initial ideas for their School Market Day group business.

Success Criteria:

Students will:

• Contribute to class discussions by naming elements of a market.
• Participate in a group activity to create a basic business concept.
• Clearly identify possible target customers and understand competition.
• Assume a key role (CEO, CMO, CFO, etc.) in their group Market Day business.

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Lesson Duration: 55 Minutes

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⏰ Lesson Timing Breakdown

Time	Activity	Mode
0-5 mins	Hook/Warm-Up: "Guess the Market"	Whole Class – Interactive
5–15 mins	Instruction 1: What is a Market?	Direct Teaching + Visuals
15–20 mins	Mini Activity: “Market or Not?”	Individual + Peer Feedback
20–30 mins	Instruction 2: Market Participants + Supply/Demand	Teacher-guided + Visual Aid
30–35 mins	Concept Quick Quiz: Kahoot or Flashcards	Whole Class Game
35–45 mins	Project Intro: Group Roles & Business Structure	Guest Student Talks + Teacher
45–55 mins	Group Time Activity: Business Brainstorming	Group Discussion + Planning

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🧠 Hook Activity (0–5 mins): “Guess the Market!”

Show 3 fast-revealed images on PowerPoint:

• A sausage sizzle at Bunnings
• An Instagram influencer’s fashion line
• A lawn-mowing flyer in a mailbox

Ask:

• “What do all these have in common?”
• “Where is the buying and selling happening?”

Purpose: Build curiosity and link markets to real life.
Support for EAL/D: Use visual images and key word prompts (e.g. sell, buy, money, customer).

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📘 Concept Instruction 1 (5–15 min): What is a Market?

Delivery method: Slide Presentation + Simplified posters around the room

Topics Covered:

• Definition: A place where buyers and sellers interact
• Types of markets: Physical (e.g. shops), Online (e.g. Facebook Marketplace), Informal (garage sales), Labour and Financial markets

Ask checking questions:

• “Can a market be online?”
• “Is a classroom a market?” (open discussion)

Include EAL/D scaffolds:

• Show symbols (shopping cart = buyer, cash = seller)
• Use sentence starters: “A market is where people…”

Example: “A lemonade stand is a physical, informal market.”

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✏️ Mini Activity (15–20 min): “Market or Not?”

Each student receives a sheet with 6 illustrated scenarios (e.g. Farmer's Market, Birthday Gift, Gumtree Ad, Charity Raffle).
Task: Circle which ones are markets and explain why with 1 short sentence each.

Pair and share: “Tell your partner why.”

Purpose: Apply knowledge using real-world scenario recognition.

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📈 Concept Instruction 2 (20–30 mins): Participants + Supply & Demand

Use a visual infographic to show:

• Market participants: Buyers, Sellers, Producers, Consumers
• Quick graphic simulation of how supply & demand affect price:
  • “Imagine everyone is selling lemonade. Prices?”
  • “Now only one person sells lemonade—prices?”

Teacher Talk (but interactive – thumbs up/down for thinking checks):

• Use simple graphs to show high supply/low demand = low price
• Tie in to Market Day: “What if 3 stalls sell cupcakes?”

Support EAL/D:

• Define unfamiliar words: supply (how much you have), demand (how much people want)
• Gesture and visuals

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🎯 Quick Quiz Game (30–35 mins): “Market Match-Up”

Use a Kahoot quiz OR printed flashcards in small teams:

• Match terms like “Buyer,” “Online Market,” “High Demand” to definitions
• Unit-specific questions: “What happens to price when demand increases?”

Purpose: Reinforce key terms before jumping into project planning

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💼 Market Day Project Launch (35–45 mins)

Guest Student Speaker (pre-arranged):

• Alex shares successful Market Day experience:
  • How their group chose a product
  • Tips for teamwork
  • Quick do’s and don’ts

Followed by Teacher (Luke) presenting simple Business Organisational Chart:

• CEO = makes big decisions
• CFO = money and budgeting
• COO = running the stall
• CMO = advertising and customers

Slide visuals: Use icons, emojis and flowcharts

Teacher Tip: Equate each to relatable roles:

• CEO = team captain
• CMO = social media boss
• CFO = banker
• COO = checklist boss

Short Reflection Questions (Show of hands or Think-Pair-Share):

• “Who would like to be the CEO?”
• “Would you prefer working with money or people?”

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⚙️ Group Activity (45–55 mins): Pitch Your Business

Students organise themselves into 4–5 teams (pre-decided or semi-randomised by popsicle sticks or numbered cards)

Task:

• Choose roles (CEO, COO, CMO, CFO)
• Come up with product or service idea (e.g. smoothie stall, handmade jewellery)
• Write 1–2 line pitch on mini-whiteboards (which teacher collects)
• Begin listing:
  • Target customer
  • Competition
  • What makes them different

Support for EAL/D:

• Sentence starters on board:
  • “Our group will sell _______.”
  • “Our customer is likely to be _______.”
  • “We are different because _______.”

Optional Extension: Students draw stall logo/branding concept.

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📋 Wrap Up (Last 2 mins)

Ask:

• “Who is excited about Market Day?”
• “What's one thing you learned today?”

Collect whiteboards/papers for planning portfolios.

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🧠 Teacher Notes for Differentiation

• Pair EAL/D students with fluent English speakers
• Use sentence frames, dual-language glossaries (where possible)
• Provide visuals and realia (physical examples)
• Allow for verbal rather than written explanations where suitable

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📅 Looking Ahead / Homework

Home Task:

• Students bring in 1 item, image or idea for their product/service by next lesson
• Optional: Interview a friend/family member about what they would buy at a school stall

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✅ Curriculum Integration Check

Links to Stage 5 NSW Commerce Syllabus:

Outcome	Evidence in Lesson
CO5-ECB-01	Definitions of market, demand/supply relationships
CO5-DEC-01	Choosing customer needs, roles, product selection
CO5-PRO-01	Business planning group activity
CO5-FIN-01	Understanding price and supply/demand
CO5-COM-01	Communication in group/pitch, terminology use

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🎉 Final Thought

This lesson blends real-world relevance, collaborative learning, and visual aids to both introduce complex economic concepts and scaffold future entrepreneurial thinking. It not only aligns with Australian standards but also empowers students to take ownership of cross-curricular, real-life projects such as Market Day.