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KS3 - Critical Consumers - 4 lessons

8 Resources available for download in this module

Sample of citizenship critical consumers lesson

This module introduces students to the idea of being critical consumers - understanding how advertising works, choosing products and understanding what choices we have as consumers.

Ideal for key stage 3, this module is broken down into 4 individual lessons, which include student activities, class dicussion and group work.

Below are the lessons in this topic. Click ‘View these lessons’ to download resources

Section of consumer choices citizenship lesson

Consumer choices

The history of chocolate and confectionary in the UK and how this relates to ethical consumerism today.

Bowl of strawberries to represent buying local or global

Buy local or buy global?

Understanding the implications of buying air-freighted goods as opposed to seasonal British produce.

Image of advertising samples

Advertising and ethics

Students create their own ad campaign for a product using ASA restrictions on cigarette advertising.

Section of critical consumers citizenship lesson

Critical consumers review

What questions have students learned to ask about buying products? This lesson is a review of the critical consumers module.

More about the Critical Consumers Teaching Resources

What is a consumer? Do young people understand some of the ethical issues when buying products? Have they heard of fair-trade and do they know what it means? These are some of the topics covered in these lessons.

Lesson 1 – Consumer Choices
We begin by looking at the history of some of the well known brands available today. Students are encouraged to look at the formation of the companies and their objectives from a business and ethical perspective.

Lesson 2 – Buy Local or Buy Global?
Now that students’ have begun to understand the basics of consumerism, we now look at the arguments for and against buying items that are produced here and abroad.

Lesson 3 – Advertising and ethics
In this lesson, we look at the way advertising can influence consumer choices. The way in which advertising and the law has changed is discussed in this lesson.

Lesson 4 – Topic Review
In order to asses student knowledge, this lesson reminds us of the previous learning in this subject and requires the students to demonstrate their learning by identifying issues that relate to specific products.