Consumer Education

• Age groups

  • Adults
  • Children
  • Teenagers
• Cross-module

  • Citizenship
  • Consumer Rights
  • Consumer Skills
  • Home Economics
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Sustainability
• Curriculum subjects

  • Business Studies
  • English
  • Food Design and Technology
  • Geography
  • ICT
  • Mathematics
  • PSHE
  • Science
• Quiz

You are here:   Consumer Skills

Consumer Skills

Shopping and pocket money

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Lesson plans Primary schools

This series of activities are designed for 6-11 year olds. The activities focus on thinking about financial choices and a range of opportunities are provided to explore these concepts with children - how the consequences of our choices might impact either on our own lifestyle, or how the consequences of our choices might impact on other people and the environment. - Content: SHOPPING AND POCKET MONEY Concepts: Managing resources, consequences of consumer choice, advertising and (...) Read more

Children , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , Numeracy , PSHE

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Personal finance

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Lesson plans Adult education

Competences: Learners are able to explore information around personal finances and how they maybe able to use this to either improve or adapt their own budgeting skills. Time: 60mins -2 hrs (depending on ability and discussion work). Curriculum Context: | Life Skills/ Lifelong Learning, numeracy. Group: Adults – out of education for some time, immigrants, basic skills. Teaching and Learning Tools Introductory discussion work Check your “consumer profile” activity My priorities (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Numeracy

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Shopping and money

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources Flipchart /whiteboard. Visual chart of coins. Plastic /real coins. Class shop containing a range of ‘real’ products from the local shops/supermarkets marked with large price labels and pictures of the coins that will be needed to pay for it. Additional Materials What did you buy today? Download the ‘What did you buy today’ Activity Sheet. My feelings about my purchases. Download the ‘My feelings about my purchases’ Activity Sheet. Further Information The Pfeg (...) Read more

Children , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , Mathematics , Numeracy , PSHE

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Paying for goods and services

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Teaching materials and resources Adult education

Finance Discussion (Tutor Led) The tutor will introduce the session and ask students to list what they might spend wages/ allowances on. The tutor will list and display these so that students see them. The tutor should then recap with students and may have to prompt if key. Brief discussion and tutor notes on: What we go shopping for? Budget? Want v safety? My Consumer Profile This may not be appropriate for some learners, the tutor should gauge students impression of (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Numeracy

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Wants v needs

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Lesson plans Primary schools

This series of activities are designed for KS2 pupils. The activities focus on thinking about needs and wants and how we budget to meet our needs. It explores the consequences of making choices and decisions around what we spend our money on. - Content: WANTS and NEEDS. Concepts: Using goods and services, consumer responsibility, managing resources. Skills: Seeking information and advice, decision making, communicating, thinking critically Attitudes: Responsibility, critical awareness, (...) Read more

Children , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Home Economics , Food Design and Technology

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Spending and saving

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Lesson plans Secondary schools

This section is aimed at key stage three pupils (11-14). The sessions aim to explore different attitudes to spending and saving, to get pupils to think about the different responsibilities one has at different life stages and to know how and where to get advice if they experience financial difficulties. Learners are able to budget in order to manage their own personal finances, and evaluate the consequences when making financial decisions. Download the Spending and saving lesson plan. (...) Read more

Teenagers , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , Mathematics , Numeracy , Business Studies

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Understanding financial terms

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Lesson plans Adult education

Competences : Learners are able to recognise and understand key financial and consumer words/terms and to consider how they may impact on their own finances. Time: 2 units 60mins each Group: 16+ Course for adults with learning difficulties Curriculum Context: Life Skills/ Lifelong Learning/Citizenship Assertiveness/ confidence building and self-advocacy Teaching and Learning Tools Fair/ Unfair statements worksheet What do these words or symbols mean? Activity Consumer word (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Numeracy , Home Economics

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Wants and needs

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources: Bag of various products from shops which present a choice of wants and needs (food, water, toy car or clip art which could represent real car, book, sweet, etc). Flipchart / Whiteboard. Sugar paper for Pie Charts Additional Materials: Download the Needs v Wants’ Activity Sheet. Download the Household expenses - ideas sheet. Further information: The Pfeg website is very good to access case studies for Key Stage 1 & 2 and access available resources in one place. In (...) Read more

Children , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Home Economics

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Budgeting

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Teaching materials and resources Secondary schools

Resources Whiteboard Pens Flipchart paper to make a note of pupil suggestions during discussions Access to the internet Set of worksheets ‘Can You Afford It?’ one each Set of Bradley family character profile sheets (Needs & Wants) Further Information Personal Finance Education Group Young Enterprise FSA Money Made Clear Learn about Money - An interactive website teaching about money management Money, money, money - An online guide to basic finance from the Citizenship (...) Read more

Teenagers , Consumer Skills , Numeracy , PSHE , Business Studies

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Understanding finance and consumer issues

Into: Teaching financial and money skills Teaching materials and resources Adult education

What do the Consumer Phrases means? Activity A list of key phrases are displayed with a list of meaning, students should match the symbol/word to the meaning. Discussion as a class should be used to work out the meanings of the words. Use worksheet Consumer Words – this can either be done as cut out cards to match or electronically. (The tutor should have a sufficient amount of information to present, in case the group find the task easy and are able to work through it quickly). Consumer (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Consumer Rights

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Food labelling and advertising

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Lesson plans Primary schools

This series of activities are primarily designed for KS2, but could be adapted for KS1. The content focuses on consumers in the market place and food labelling and advertising. Content: FOOD (Labels and advertising) Concepts: Consumers in the market place, advertising and packaging, consequences of consumer action. Skills: Seeking information, thinking critically, decision making. Attitudes: Critical awareness, responsibility This series of activities focuses on consumers in the (...) Read more

Children , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Food Design and Technology , Science

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Understanding food ingredients

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Lesson plans Secondary schools

This section is aimed at key stage three pupils (11-14). The sessions aim to explore how much knowledge and understanding the pupils have in regards to the food and drink they consume. Learners are encouraged to think about the ingredients contained in products and how manufacturers advertise / market so called ‘healthy products’. Download the full ’Understanding Food Ingredients lesson plan. What do you know about the food you eat? Activity. Download the ’What do you know about the food (...) Read more

Teenagers , Literacy , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Food Design and Technology

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Personal health and lifestyle

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Lesson plans Adult education

Competences: Learners are able to explore information around personal health and how they maybe able to use this to either improve or adapt their own lifestyles. Time: 60mins -2 hrs (depending on ability, resources and discussion work) Group: adults out of education for some time, immigrants, basic skills, family learning Curriculum Context: Life Skills/ Lifelong Learning, numeracy, independent living skills, citizenship, (business studies) Teaching and Learning Tools (see tool 3) (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Business Studies

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Food packaging and labelling

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources: Collection of food with variety of packaging and labels Selection of advertisements from television, magazines and newspapers, particularly those aimed at children (food, sweets and crisps etc.). Flipchart /whiteboard. Additional Materials: Download the Packaging information record sheet Further information: Teachernet - this is a useful site for general teaching and learning ideas but also contains a link to ‘Wired for Health’ and ‘Healthy Schools’ websites which have (...) Read more

Children , Literacy , Consumer Skills , Food Design and Technology , Science

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Balanced diet and food labelling

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Teaching materials and resources Secondary schools

Resources Whiteboard Pens Flipchart paper to make a note of pupil suggestions during discussions Access to the internet Labels from fruit based products at least 15 one for each pair (class size 30) ’What do you know about the food you eat’ worksheet How much fruit do you eat? worksheet Food labelling information worksheet Further information Example of food label The facts about salt Food Standards (...) Read more

Teenagers , Literacy , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Food Design and Technology

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Consumer choice and advertising

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Teaching materials and resources Adult education

What influences you choices? Questionnaire The tutor should present the list of questions to the group; however these can be adapted to focus on one advertisement. Learners should consider and select their answers, learners are invited to offer alternative answers relevant to the question. Each learner’s answers should be recorded on flip chart/ board so that the group can then discuss why they have given those answers. Sharing of opinions among peers may add influence to learner’s (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills

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Planning a healthy picnic

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources: Visual material that shows different food groups (example provided), Child friendly supermarket websites, Spreadsheet with running total column (example provided) Additional Materials: Download the Planning for a healthy picnic spreadsheet Download the Financial planning spreadsheet Download the Success criteria score sheet Further information: Teachernet - this is a useful site for general teaching and learning ideas but also contains a link to ‘Wired for Health’ and (...) Read more

Children , Consumer Skills , Mathematics , PSHE , Home Economics

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Making healthy choices

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Teaching materials and resources Secondary schools

Resources Whiteboard Pens Flipchart paper to make a note of pupil suggestions during discussions Access to the internet Access to computers if you want pupils to do PowerPoint presentations Selection of labels which show both the traffic light label and GDA schemes ’Making healthy choices’ worksheet Food labelling information worksheet Further Information Example of a food label The facts about salt Food Standards (...) Read more

Teenagers , Consumer Skills , English , PSHE , Home Economics

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Planning a picnic

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Lesson plans Primary schools

This series of activities are aimed at KS2 pupils. The activity focuses on planning a picnic. Content: PLANNING A CLASS PICNIC. Concepts: Consumer values and behaviour, consumer influence, advertising and packaging. Skills: Seeking information and advice, decision making, communicating, evaluating Attitudes: Critical awareness, self reliance, empathy. These activities could be used with adaptations across the whole of KS2. The theme links with PSHE. .For this activity to fully (...) Read more

Children , Consumer Skills , English , PSHE

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Food labelling

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Lesson plans Secondary schools

This section is aimed at key stage three students (11-14). The session aims to explore how food manufactures and retailers label their food. To get pupils to understand and be aware that consumers have a right to know what they are eating and to know how healthy the products are. Learners will look at food products which might be unhealthy if eaten too often and whether such products should be clearly labelled. Download the full Food labelling lesson plan. "Making healthy choices" (...) Read more

Teenagers , Citizenship , Literacy , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Home Economics , Food Design and Technology , Science

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Food and health

Into: Teaching safety and health skills Lesson plans Adult education

Competences: Learners are able to recognise the volume of consumer choice available and within that choice consider what might be the healthiest and manageable option for themselves. |Time: 60mins -2 hrs (1hr per each topic food/ health activities)| Groups: Adults - 16+, young parents groups, learning difficulties, learning disabilities Curriculum Context: Life Skills/ Lifelong Learning, independent living skills, literacy Teaching Approach: It is important to stress that (...) Read more

Adults , Literacy , Consumer Skills

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Understanding packaging and recycling

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Lesson plans Primary schools

This series of activities are designed for KS1&2. The activities focus on types of packaging and our responsibility as consumers to reduce reuse and recycle. - Content: PACKAGING and RECYCLING Concepts: Consumers in the market place, advertising and packaging, consumer responsibility, consumer influence, consequences of consumer action, consumer values and behaviour. Skills: Seeking information and advice, decision making, problem solving. Attitudes: Responsibility, Critical (...) Read more

Children , Sustainability , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Science

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Effects of consumption on the environment

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Lesson plans Adult education

- Competences: Learners are able to explore different environmental and ethical information and recognise/ understand the importance and impact that it should have on consumption. Time: 60mins – 2hrs Group: Adult Learners Curriculum contex: Life Skills/ Lifelong Learning, healthy eating, local and global citizenship/Independent living skills. Teaching approach - Interactive and visual activities A small project can be set as a follow up session whereby learners investigate where they (...) Read more

Adults , Sustainability , Consumer Skills , Home Economics

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Recycling

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources: Collection of a range of food packaging. Digital camera Garden implements Garden labels Marker pens (indelible) Additional Materials: Download the 3R’s activity sheet Download the What happens to packaging materials record sheet Further information: Recycle zone - The Recycle zone website contains a range of information and activities for students. Read more

Children , Sustainability , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Science

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Impact of food on the environment

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Teaching materials and resources Secondary schools

Resources Whiteboard Pens Flipchart paper to make a note of pupil suggestions during discussions ’Why are people hungry? worksheet, which includes: Food costs What are the main causes of the rising prices? Causes & consequences Why are corn, rice, soya and wheat so important? Further information World Food Programme Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Millennium Development (...) Read more

Teenagers , Sustainability , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Science

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Environmental and ethical labels

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Teaching materials and resources Adult education

Logo/Symbol Cards or Powerpoint presentation Learners are presented with a selection of environmental or ethical labels/ logos and asked to identify them. The tutor then feeds back to the group about the meaning and brief history behind the logo. Download the ‘Are you a responsible shopper?’ powerpoint 5 session ethical consumption program The scheme of work is developed for adult learners who have learning difficulties and/ or learning disabilities. It aims to introduce learners (...) Read more

Adults , Sustainability , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , Home Economics

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Going on holiday

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Lesson plans Primary schools

This series of activities provide a ‘team challenge’ approach, focusing on planning a holiday. The theme could be extended to provide lessons over several weeks and engage the children in a wider range of activity. - Content: PLANNING A HOLIDAY Concepts: Consumer values and behaviour, using goods and services, equality of access, consumer rights, customer charters, advertising and packaging, organizations which help us. Skills: Seeking information and advice, communicating, evaluating, (...) Read more

Children , Sustainability , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Geography , ICT

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Dealing with food waste

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Lesson plans Secondary schools

This section is aimed at key stage three pupils (11-14). The sessions aim to explore why so much food is wasted and the impact the rising food price is having around the world. Learners will be encouraged to think about how these changes effect themselves and others and to start think abut what they can do. Download the full ’Dealing with food waste’ teaching plan. "Can we afford to thow food away? Activity This session starts with a de-brief from the homework (from the lesson relating (...) Read more

Teenagers , Sustainability , Consumer Skills , PSHE , Home Economics , Food Design and Technology

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Labelling of products

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Lesson plans Adult education

Competences: Learners should be able to recognise and familiarise themselves with important safety/quality and ethical information on products. Time: 2 units 60mins each Group: 16+ Adult learners Curriculum Context: Life Skills/ independent living skills, family learning, Citizenship Teaching and Learning Tools Teaching Approach Interactive and visual group work activities, using own experiences or if not appropriate case studies or examples provided by the tutor. Using examples (...) Read more

Adults , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , Consumer Rights

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Going on holiday

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources: Wide selection of holiday brochures for different destinations. List of websites. Whiteboard. Note paper Large sugar paper Pens and markers. Additional Materials: Download the ’Ideas for holiday destinations’ activity sheet Download the ’Team prompt and recording’ sheet Further lesson plans for extending the activity into a 5 week module. Download further holiday teaching plans Further Information: Environment Agency - This website provides good background information (...) Read more

Children , Consumer Skills , Geography , ICT

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Product labelling

Into: Teaching consumer responsibility Teaching materials and resources Adult education

Safety Labels card (Tutor Led activity) The tutor holds up cards with different safety symbols for the group to identify. It is not necessary to keep score but this will help the tutor to evaluate how to pitch the rest of the session i.e. if the learner knowledge is very little then the session might focus solely on the purpose of the labels. However if the knowledge is good then time can be allocated to the budget work. Brief discussion and tutor notes on: What we go shopping for? (...) Read more

Adults , Consumer Skills , Home Economics

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Using postal services

Into: Teaching consumer rights Lesson Plans Primary schools

This series of activities are designed for KS1 pupils, but could easily be extended both for more able children and Year 2 children. The activities focus on using the postal service. - Content: POST OFFICE Concepts: Using goods and services, communicating satisfaction or dissatisfaction, consumer rights. Skills: communicating, resolving conflict, assertiveness. Attitudes: critical awareness, self reliance Learners are able to to see themselves both as product consumers and (...) Read more

Children , Citizenship , Literacy , Consumer Skills , English , Consumer Rights

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The Post Office

Into: Teaching consumer rights Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources Used envelopes and parcels of various sizes and shapes 6 pieces of large card for addresses. Envelopes for the children to address Class Post box (could be made from cardboard box and painted red). 20p coin for each child. ‘Stamps’ for each child (these could be real or made up by sticky coloured dots). Stimulus pictures/photos - cut photos from magazines and download pictures from the internet. Example addresses Example stamps Further information: The Post Office - A user (...) Read more

Children , Literacy , Consumer Skills , English , PSHE

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Buying goods and services

Into: Teaching consumer rights Teaching materials and resources Adult education

What do we buy? Learners are asked to list the things they buy, the tutor records this. The next stage is for the tutor to present a 2 column table dividing goods and services. Learners should decide which items from the first list should go in which column. Students should be able to justify their answers. Use activity sheet ‘What do we buy?’. Download the How do we buy goods and services activity sheet. How do we buy goods and services? Activity The aim of this activity is for (...) Read more

Adults , Citizenship , Literacy , Consumer Skills

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Buying a mobile phone

Into: Teaching consumer rights Lesson Plans Primary schools

This series of activities are designed for KS2 pupils and focuses on choosing, using and paying for a mobile phone. - Content: MOBILE PHONES Concepts: Consumer values and behaviour, using goods and services, consumer responsibility, communicating satisfaction or dissatisfaction, consumer rights, advertising and packaging. Skills: Seeking information and advice, communicating, problem solving, resolving conflict, assertiveness. Attitudes: Self reliance, responsibility, critical (...) Read more

Children , Consumer Skills , Mathematics , Numeracy , ICT

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Mobile phones

Into: Teaching consumer rights Teaching materials and resources Primary schools

Resources: Selection of a variety of Mobile phone literature and tariffs (and /or - website addresses) Whiteboard Computer access for the evaluator of presentations: PowerPoint software (or similar) NB: It is important for the teacher not to promote, or to be seen to be promoting, one particular brand of phone or network Ensuring that a wide range of brands are represented should counter any potential bias. Additional Materials: Download the question framework and success criteria (...) Read more

Children , Consumer Skills , PSHE , ICT

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Issues in local community

Into: Teaching consumer rights Teaching materials and resources Secondary schools

Resources Whiteboard Pens Flipchart paper to make a note of pupil suggestions during discussions Local newspapers Community magazines Access to the internet Planning your investigation activity materials Further Information Directgov Local Government Group Department for Communities and Local Government Local Government Association UK Youth Parliament British Youth Council Parliament UK Headliners Participation (...) Read more

Teenagers , Citizenship , Consumer Skills , PSHE , ICT

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