Understanding Consumer Rights

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 10
Subject: Social Sciences
Curriculum Area: Social Studies
Curriculum Level: Level 5
Time: 60 minutes
Lesson Number: 1 of 6 in Consumer Rights Uncovered
Key Competencies: Thinking, Participating and Contributing, Relating to Others

Big Idea:

Consumers have rights and responsibilities that protect them when making purchases in New Zealand.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand what consumer rights and responsibilities are.
• Recognise common consumer rights issues in New Zealand.
• Reflect on their own experiences as consumers.
• Develop critical thinking skills by analysing common purchasing scenarios.

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Lesson Structure

1. Settling In & Introduction (10 mins)

Activity: Quick Fire Discussion

• Pose the question: "When was the last time you bought something? What happened?"
• Students share quick responses with the class.
• Introduce the lesson by explaining that every New Zealander is a consumer and has rights when they buy products or services.
• Display the Lesson Learning Outcomes on the board and briefly discuss.

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2. Small Group Discussion (15 mins)

Activity: Consumer Rights Brainstorm

• Split the class into 5 groups, each with 5 students.
• Each group receives a "Scenario Card" describing a different purchasing experience (e.g., receiving a faulty product, misleading advertising, pricing mistakes in stores).
• Groups discuss:
  1. What happened?
  2. What do they think the consumer's rights should be?
  3. What should the seller's responsibility be?
• Groups write their thoughts on a shared A3 poster.

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3. Whole-Class Discussion (15 mins)

Activity: Consumer Rights in NZ

• Groups present their scenario and key discussion points.
• The teacher introduces the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) and Fair Trading Act, explaining their significance in protecting consumers in NZ.
• The class discusses how their ideas compare to the actual consumer rights laws.

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4. Critical Thinking Challenge (15 mins)

Activity: "Who's Responsible?" Game

• The teacher presents 3 short purchasing dilemmas on the board (e.g., Sarah bought a phone that stopped working after two weeks; Bob was overcharged at the petrol station; Emma bought ‘organic’ honey that wasn’t organic).
• Students vote on who they think is responsible: the consumer, the seller, or both?
• The teacher reveals the legal answer and briefly explains why.

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5. Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 mins)

Exit Ticket:
Before leaving, students must answer on a post-it note:

"What is one right or responsibility all consumers in NZ have?"

The teacher collects and reviews these to assess students' understanding.

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Assessment & Differentiation

Assessment for Learning

• Teacher circulates during group work to check understanding.
• Class discussions provide insight into students' pre-existing knowledge.
• Exit Tickets serve as formative assessment.

Differentiation Strategies

• Extension: Encourage students to research real-life case studies of consumer disputes in NZ.
• Support: Provide sentence starters for students who need help expressing ideas during discussions.

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Teacher Reflection After Lesson

• Were students engaged in the discussions?
• Did they grasp the key consumer rights concepts?
• Which students may need additional support in upcoming lessons?

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This lesson builds a strong foundation for "Consumer Rights Uncovered" by encouraging students to connect their real-world experiences to their rights under New Zealand law. 🚀