Sustainability and Choices

Overview

This 50-minute lesson (Lesson 16 of 30) for Year 7 students in Australia explores how sustainability influences consumer preferences and business practices. The lesson is aligned with the Western Australian Curriculum for Humanities and Social Sciences (Economics and Business), focusing on developing students' understanding of how sustainability shapes economic decisions.

Curriculum Alignment

Western Australian Curriculum — Economics and Business (Year 7)

• Content Description:
  Develop a response to an economic and business issue, identifying potential costs and benefits (AC9HE7S04)
• Key Learning Objective:
  Identify reasons that inform responses to sustainability issues in economic decisions, particularly in consumer choices and business practices (AC9HE7S04_E2)
• General Capabilities:
  Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability

Learning Objectives

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

• Explain how sustainability influences consumer preferences and decision-making.
• Describe how businesses incorporate sustainable practices to meet consumer demand.
• Identify potential costs and benefits associated with sustainable consumer choices.
• Develop a simple, reasoned response to an economic issue related to sustainability.

Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector or smartboard
• Handouts with a sustainability case study and consumer choice scenarios
• Sticky notes or small cards
• Chart paper for group work
• Timer

---

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Hook: Present students with two products (real or images): one 'regular' and one marketed as sustainable (e.g., reusable water bottle vs single-use plastic bottle).
• Discussion:
  • Ask students which product they prefer and why.
  • Introduce the term sustainability in economic contexts, referring to meeting current needs without compromising future generations.
• Link to Curriculum: Highlight the business and economic relevance of sustainability in consumer choices (AC9HE7S04_E2).

2. Exploration Activity: Case Study Analysis (15 minutes)

• Activity Setup:
  • Provide a short, age-appropriate case study describing a business that shifted to sustainable practices to meet consumer demand (e.g., a local café switching to biodegradable packaging).
  • In groups of 4-5, students identify potential costs and benefits for both the business and consumers using a graphic organiser.
• Guiding Questions:
  • What might be the benefits for the business in adopting sustainable practices?
  • What costs might the business bear?
  • How might consumers’ preferences affect this decision?
  • Are there any long-term benefits or costs?
• Teacher Role: Circulate to support groups, prompting economic and business vocabulary like "costs", "benefits", "consumer preferences".

3. Sharing and Discussion (10 minutes)

• Groups share their findings with the class, linking back to sustainability’s influence on business decisions and consumer choices.
• Teacher clarifies concepts such as economic costs and benefits, sustainability, and consumer influence.

4. Critical Thinking Task: Consumer Choice Role-Play (10 minutes)

• Set Up: Provide students with role-play cards representing different consumers with varying sustainability values and budgets.
• Task: Students decide in pairs which product they would choose considering sustainability and cost, then justify their choices briefly.
• Debrief: Highlight diversity in consumer priorities, touching on real-world social and economic implications.

5. Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Ask students to write a quick exit response on a sticky note:
  "One way sustainability influences my choices or business practices is..."
• Collect responses to inform next lesson and reflect on understanding.

---

Assessment

• Formative:

  • Participation in group case study and sharing.
  • Quality of reasoning in role-play consumer choices.
  • Exit sticky note reflection to check individual understanding.

• Success Criteria:

  • Students use economic/business terms (costs, benefits, consumer preference).
  • Students articulate reasons how sustainability influences decisions in simple terms.
  • Students identify both business and consumer perspectives on sustainability.

---

Teacher Notes and Tips

• Emphasise relevant economic vocabulary to build literacy (e.g., "market", "decision-making", "costs and benefits").
• Encourage students to connect sustainability with real-life examples from their local community or media.
• Use visuals and tangible examples to engage learners aged 12-13.
• Manage time strictly to allow for active participation and reflection.

---

This lesson builds directly on the Western Australian Year 7 Economics and Business Curriculum content descriptor AC9HE7S04 "Develop a response to an economic and business issue, identifying potential costs and benefits," specifically elaboration AC9HE7S04_E2 addressing sustainable use of economic resources.

By incorporating collaborative group work, role-playing, and real-world applications, this lesson supports critical thinking and ethical understanding as outlined in the general capabilities of the curriculum, enhancing engagement and skills development for early secondary students.