Tastes and Themes

Overview

In this second lesson of the unit “Elements of Business Experience,” students practise simple market research by surveying classmates about element-themed movies and foods. They then use the results to create a basic menu and choose a theme that matches what people prefer.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify what a market research question is and why it helps businesses make choices.
• Students will collect simple survey data (preferences) in a fair and organised way.
• Students will read tally results to make a basic decision.
• Students will plan a simple menu that suits the most-liked movie and food elements.

Success criteria

• I can ask a clear question about favourite movie themes and food preferences.
• I can tally responses neatly and explain what the results show.
• I can choose a menu theme using the survey results (not just my own opinion).
• I can create a simple menu with at least three items and a short description.

Curriculum links

• Personalising learning by making decisions based on information and feedback from others.
• Developing and using practical skills to gather, display, and interpret simple data.
• Using communication skills to explain choices and give reasons.
• Building understanding of how businesses respond to customer preferences.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–5 min: Hook and goal setting Show two pictures (or simple props) representing element themes (e.g., Water, Fire, Earth, Air) and two food options (e.g., soup/salad or sweet/fruit). Ask: “What would people choose most often, and how can we find out?” Share today’s goal: collect preferences, make a menu.

2. 5–10 min: Model the survey Teacher explains that market research is asking customers what they like. Introduce two class survey questions (teacher-led, age-appropriate):

• “Which movie theme do you like most: Fire, Water, Earth, Air?”
• “Which food would you pick: Crunchy snack, Sweet snack, Hot meal, Fresh bowl?” Model how to record answers on a shared tally sheet (one tick per response).

3. 10–18 min: Student survey (tallying) Students work in pairs. Each pair asks and records responses from one or two classmates so everyone is surveyed. Teacher circulates to check questions are clear, responses are recorded correctly, and everyone takes turns politely. At the end, class creates final tallies together.

4. 18–23 min: Read the data and make a decision Students look at the class totals and identify:

• most-chosen movie theme (highest tally)
• most-chosen food category Teacher prompts: “What does this tell us about our customers?” Students practise saying a reason using sentence starters: “Our customers preferred…, so we will…”.

5. 23–28 min: Create a basic menu (element-themed) In small groups, students design a simple menu connected to the winning movie theme. Requirements:

• menu name (e.g., “Air Adventure Snacks”)
• at least three items
• each item has a brief description (1 sentence or key words) that links to the theme and food category

6. 28–30 min: Quick share-out and reflection Each group shares: the winning theme, one menu item, and one reason based on the survey results. Teacher closes with: “Good businesses use customer feedback to plan.”

Resources

• Element theme cards/pictures (Fire, Water, Earth, Air)
• Food category cards (Crunchy snack, Sweet snack, Hot meal, Fresh bowl)
• Survey tally sheet (teacher-created large sheet)
• Clipboards or printed mini recording sheets for pairs
• Coloured pens/markers
• Plain paper or menu templates (menu header + three item boxes)
• Sentence starters cards (e.g., “Our customers preferred…, so we chose…”)
• Sticky notes for quick sharing (optional)

Assessment

• Observation of students’ ability to ask the survey question clearly and record responses accurately.
• Review of tallies for correctness and neatness.
• Teacher checks menus: theme choice matches the survey results and each item includes a basic description.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a visual choice board (only show options while asking) and pre-fill the tally sheet with rows; model recording with a practice question first.
• Support: sentence starters for explanations; allow students to point to results rather than write long sentences.
• Extension: ask students to create two menu versions (Plan A using top result, Plan B using the second-highest) and justify which they would choose and why.
• EAL/SEN: allow responses using pictures, colour coding, or oral recording; provide reduced menu writing (keywords permitted) and extra time for tallying.