Mathematics · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Best Buys and Unit Pricing

Active learning turns abstract price comparisons into tangible, memorable experiences. Students move, discuss, and debate while solving real-world problems, which strengthens their grasp of unit pricing and reinforces multiplication and division in meaningful contexts.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9M6N08

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Supermarket Simulation: Best Buy Hunt

Distribute Woolworths or Coles catalogues to small groups. Each group selects three categories like cereal or toothpaste, calculates unit prices for two sizes per item, identifies the best buy, and justifies with calculations. Groups present one choice to the class for peer feedback.

Justify why unit pricing is a valuable tool for consumers.

Facilitation Tip

During Supermarket Simulation, circulate with a clipboard to listen for students naming the unit they are using, reinforcing precision as they work.

What to look for

Provide students with two different sizes of the same product (e.g., 500g bag of rice for $4.00, 1kg bag for $7.00). Ask them to calculate the unit price for each and write which is the best buy and why.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 50 min · Pairs

Shopping List Challenge

Provide students with a family shopping list budget. In pairs, they research online supermarket sites for five items, compute unit prices, select best buys, and adjust the list to stay under budget. Pairs share their optimized lists.

Compare different product sizes to determine the best buy using unit pricing.

Facilitation Tip

For Shopping List Challenge, provide calculators but require students to write each step to catch calculation errors early.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'You need to buy laundry detergent. Brand A is $6.00 for 1 litre. Brand B is $10.00 for 2 litres. Brand C is $4.50 for 750ml.' Ask: 'Which is the best buy? How do you know? What other factors might you consider besides price?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Pairs

Product Comparison Stations

Set up stations with props like canned soups or juice bottles of varying sizes. Pairs rotate through four stations, calculate unit prices using calculators, record findings on charts, and vote on class best buys at the end.

Design a shopping list that prioritizes best buys for common household items.

Facilitation Tip

At Product Comparison Stations, set a timer for each rotation so students practice efficient decision-making under realistic constraints.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to explain in their own words why unit pricing is a useful tool for shoppers. They should include one example of how they might use it when buying groceries.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Design Your Own Best Buy

Small groups invent household products with sizes and prices, then swap with another group to calculate unit prices and determine the best value. Groups refine designs based on feedback to create unbeatable deals.

Justify why unit pricing is a valuable tool for consumers.

Facilitation Tip

When students Design Their Own Best Buy, require them to include a unit price calculation and a clear recommendation to practice justification.

What to look for

Provide students with two different sizes of the same product (e.g., 500g bag of rice for $4.00, 1kg bag for $7.00). Ask them to calculate the unit price for each and write which is the best buy and why.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete examples using familiar products to build intuition before introducing formulas. Research shows students retain concepts better when they discover the need for unit pricing through guided comparisons. Avoid rushing to the formula; let students articulate the problem first. Use peer teaching during activities to reinforce understanding and surface misconceptions early.

Students will confidently calculate unit prices and defend their choices with evidence. They will recognize when larger sizes do not mean better value and articulate why consistent units matter in comparisons.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Supermarket Simulation: Best Buy Hunt, watch for students selecting larger packages without checking unit prices.

  Prompt them to calculate the unit price per 100 grams or per litre before deciding, using the price tags and quantity labels you provide.

• During Product Comparison Stations, watch for students subtracting total costs instead of dividing to find unit prices.

  Have them use the step-by-step guide at each station to practice the formula: total cost divided by quantity, with peer checks before moving on.

• During Shopping List Challenge, watch for students mixing units without converting, such as comparing grams to kilograms directly.

  Require them to convert all quantities to the same unit before calculating and explain their conversion choice on their recording sheet.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning