Activity 01
Stations Rotation: Ad Analysis Stations
Prepare stations with magazines, TV clips, and online ads showing techniques like testimonials or urgency. Students rotate in groups, identify persuasive elements on worksheets, and discuss influences. Conclude with a class share-out of findings.
Explain the fundamental rights consumers have when purchasing goods and services.
Facilitation TipDuring Ad Analysis Stations, provide a timer for each station and circulate with guiding questions to keep groups focused on identifying persuasive techniques rather than personal opinions.
What to look forPresent students with three different advertisements (print, video, or online). Ask them to identify one persuasive technique used in each ad and explain how it might influence a consumer's decision to buy the product.
RememberUnderstandApplyAnalyzeSelf-ManagementRelationship Skills
Generate Complete Lesson→· · ·
Activity 02
Role-Play: Consumer Dispute Court
Assign roles as consumer, seller, and ACCC mediator. Groups act out scenarios like faulty toy returns, using rights checklists. Debrief on resolutions and responsibilities.
Analyze how advertising techniques influence consumer spending habits.
Facilitation TipIn Consumer Dispute Court, assign clear roles for witnesses, judges, and plaintiffs to structure the role-play and ensure every student contributes meaningfully.
What to look forPose the question: 'Imagine you have $20 to spend on a gift. One option is a product made locally with potentially questionable labor practices, and another is a product from an overseas market with a Fair Trade certification. How would you decide, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion on the trade-offs involved.
ApplyAnalyzeEvaluateSocial AwarenessSelf-Awareness
Generate Complete Lesson→· · ·
Activity 03
Pairs Debate: Ethical Shopping Dilemmas
Provide cards with choices like cheap vs. fair trade chocolate. Pairs prepare arguments for ethical picks, then debate with another pair. Vote and reflect on global impacts.
Justify the importance of being an 'ethical consumer' in today's global market.
Facilitation TipFor Ethical Shopping Dilemmas, assign pairs to research their assigned brand beforehand so debates are informed and grounded in facts rather than assumptions.
What to look forOn an exit ticket, ask students to list two consumer rights they have under Australian law and one responsibility they have as a consumer. They should also write one sentence explaining why being an ethical consumer is important.
ApplyAnalyzeEvaluateSocial AwarenessSelf-Awareness
Generate Complete Lesson→· · ·
Activity 04
Whole Class: Ethical Budget Challenge
Give class budgets for a shopping list. Teams select items considering rights and ethics, present choices. Class votes on most balanced trolley.
Explain the fundamental rights consumers have when purchasing goods and services.
Facilitation TipIn the Ethical Budget Challenge, prepare a visible scoring rubric so students track their own progress and make adjustments as they allocate funds.
What to look forPresent students with three different advertisements (print, video, or online). Ask them to identify one persuasive technique used in each ad and explain how it might influence a consumer's decision to buy the product.
ApplyAnalyzeEvaluateSocial AwarenessSelf-Awareness
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Experienced teachers approach this topic by grounding lessons in real consumer scenarios students might face. Avoid lengthy lectures on laws; instead, use role-plays and station work to let students experience the consequences of their choices. Research shows that when students feel the impact of unfair practices or ethical dilemmas, their understanding deepens and lasts longer.
Students will demonstrate confidence in identifying consumer rights, evaluating ads, negotiating disputes, and making ethical purchasing decisions. They will articulate why consumer actions matter and how choices affect others locally and globally.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Ad Analysis Stations, watch for students who assume all claims in ads are true.
Use the station’s fact-checking sheet to have students compare ad claims with verified product information, highlighting exaggeration and selective messaging in groups.
During Consumer Dispute Court, watch for students who believe consumers can always get a refund for any reason.
After the role-play, have students review the ACCC refund guidelines displayed in the courtroom setup and revise their arguments using only valid conditions.
During Ethical Shopping Dilemmas, watch for students who think individual purchasing choices have little global impact.
Use the debate’s closing reflection to tally the class’s ethical pledges and discuss how collective demand shifts market practices, making the impact visible.
Methods used in this brief