Sample unit – Commerce Stage 5 – Life Skills

Sample unit of work

Title Duration
Informed consumers 10 weeks

Overview
This unit involves students exploring needs and wants, and identifying the ways in which people obtain goods and services in the community. Students
use strategies to make informed decisions when purchasing goods or services and identify areas where consumers may need protection.

Outcomes
COMLS-1 recognises the differences between needs and wants
COMLS-2 identifies ways in which people obtain goods and services in the local community
COMLS-3 explores rights and/or responsibilities as a consumer
COMLS-7 makes informed decisions in a range of contexts
COMLS-8 purchases goods and services
COMLS-10 identifies appropriate community support personnel and agencies who can assist with problems and issues

Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021 Page 1 of 11

 Resources

MoneySmart: Teaching Resources

Assessment

Assessment for, Assessment as and Assessment of learning are approaches that enable teachers to gather evidence and make judgements about
student achievement. These are not necessarily discrete approaches and may be used individually or together.
Some examples of assessment FOR learning in this unit include:
 clear learning goals or intentions for the learning activities
 self-reflection and peer feedback, eg site visit or role-plays.
Some examples of assessment AS learning in this unit include:
 inquiry-based learning that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning, eg site studies to purchase products, review of mobile
phone contracts fine print
 self-reflection and peer feedback to refine students’ understanding and skill, eg reflecting on rights and responsibilities of purchasing choices,
discussions of personal needs and wants with peers.
Some examples of assessment OF learning in this unit include:
 questioning to assess students’ knowledge and understanding to plan for future learning, eg mini whiteboards, online quizzes
 observation of students’ knowledge, understanding and skills through their work and participation in activities, eg practical application of consumer rights
and responsibilities, making an informed purchase, checklists, photographs, work samples, video recordings, class discussions.

Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021 Page 2 of 11

 Content
Students:
Needs and wants
 identify basic needs common to all young
people
 identify aspirations common to all young people 
 identify ways in which the needs of young
people may be met
The role of consumers and producers
 identify common consumer needs and wants
Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources
Needs and wants
Students explore needs and wants by:
 recognising that food, shelter, clothing, care, health care and education
are basic needs for everyone
identifying things that are desirable but not essential, eg computer
games, mobile devices, sporting equipment.
Students work collaboratively to sort real objects or create a visual AgriFood Skills
representation that differentiates between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. In pairs or Australia Education
small groups, they play The Needs and Wants Game: Primezone, Resources: Needs vs
purchasing items they need and want (AgriFood Skills Australia Wants
Education Resources: Needs vs Wants – Worksheet 2).
Discuss with students ways in which our basic needs are met, for Gap Minder: Dollar
example parents/carers provide food, shelter, care; doctors and hospitals Street
provide health care. Explore Dollar Street to view how families around
the world live, discussing needs and wants of the families.
As a group, students discuss if everyone has the same needs and how AgriFood Skills
some needs may differ. As a class, students review and collate a list of Australia Education
items different people may need (AgriFood Skills Australia Education Resources: Needs vs
Resources: Needs vs Wants – Worksheet 1). Wants
Which needs can be purchased and which needs cannot? What do we
need to be happy?
Watch one Teenage Boss episode and collate a list of the needs/wants ABC: Teenage Boss
in the household budget where the ‘teenage boss’ was able to save
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 Content
Students:
Goods and services
 recognise goods
 identify providers of goods
 recognise different types of services and where
to locate them within their community
 identify providers of services
 identify where specific goods may be obtained
 identify how services may be obtained
 use a range of strategies to obtain goods and/or
services either physically or online
Being a responsible consumer
 identify and locate items for purchase
Businesses within the market
 identify different types of businesses and their
goods or services
Students:
Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources
money.
Goods and services
As a class, discuss what is a ‘good’ and a ‘service’ and the differences
between them. Students brainstorm a range of goods and services and
sort them accordingly.
Where do we purchase goods and services from?
Students match a range of goods and services to a provider or place of
purchase, eg prescription medicine from the chemist, petrol from a
service station, haircut from a hairdresser, vaccination for a dog at a
veterinary clinic.
Discuss goods that can be purchased from multiple providers, eg meat
from a supermarket or butcher, fruit from a greengrocer or supermarket,
as well as online versus shopfront. Students could develop a visual
representation of this, using a graphic organiser.
Participate in a simulated or actual site visit to identify community
providers for purchasing/obtaining goods and services. Using a map of
their local area students locate places in their community to purchase
items from a shopping list provided to them.
Rights and responsibilities
Participate in role-plays and/or discussions to develop an understanding
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 Content
Being a responsible consumer
 understand the right of consumers to return
damaged or faulty products for refund or
exchange
 use appropriate strategies when making a
complaint about goods or services
 locate, select and communicate information
relating to individuals or groups that support
consumers in making a complaint
 recognise the importance of making payments
on time
 identify ways in which individuals promote
responsible consumer behaviour
 reflect on their own decision-making processes
in relation to purchasing goods and services
Consumer protection
 identify areas where consumers may need
protection
 explore legal rights and responsibilities as
consumers
 identify consumer protection agencies
 recognise a process for redress as a consumer
 explore the features and terms of basic
Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources
of ‘rights’ and ‘responsibilities’ for consumers. This could include:
 recognising conditions for entering some stores, eg taking own shopping
bags; whether or not pets are allowed
 purchasing goods in good condition and consistent with advertised
details
 recognising conditions for returning purchased items, and whether there
are any differences in returning items purchased online and in store
 returning borrowed/hired goods in the same condition and on time
 recognising conditions for hiring some items, eg paying a ‘holding
deposit’ which is refunded on return of an item.
In pairs explore consumer rights and responsibilities by matching the
questions and answers of the Consumer Match-up Cards on p10 of the
Consumer Stuff for Kids resource.
Consumer Affairs
Participate with others in site studies to simulated or actual stores and/or Victoria: Consumer
service providers for the purpose of clarifying mutual rights and Stuff for Kids resource
responsibilities. This may include: – Consumer Match-up
Cards
 clarifying with staff at a council library the terms and conditions when
borrowing books or other items
 clarifying with a store manager the conditions for entry such as searching
bags, restricted sale of some goods
 recording terms and conditions, rights and responsibilities for purchasing,
borrowing, hiring a range of goods following site studies.
After reading through the Contracts factsheet, students brainstorm and
discuss what the purpose of a contract is and how and where they are
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 Content Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources

contracts used.
They participate in drawing up a contract within the class to clarify that
contracts consist of an offer and an acceptance. Students explore a
Consumer Affairs
classroom example of a contract, such as the offer of free time in
Victoria: Factsheets –
exchange for a student completing set tasks. Signatures of both the
Contracts
student and teacher represent an acceptance of the terms and conditions
of the contract. In detail, this may include:
 negotiating an amount of free time that will be provided to the student in
exchange for completing set tasks
 negotiating a time frame for the contract
 specifying consequences for both parties if the conditions of the contract
are not met
 recording and signing the contract with the teacher
 determining if the contract is to be renewed or changed.
Students engage in the digiactivity Choosing a mobile plan, and review
the inclusions of different phone plans and what the implications could be
when selecting the wrong plan. Explore the implications of the ‘fine print’
in a range of common contracts, eg mobile phone plans, ‘buy now, pay
later’ plans. This may include identifying: MoneySmart:
 individuals or agencies from whom they would seek assistance before Digiactivity – Choosing
entering into a contract a mobile plan
 specific rules, conditions and legal obligations associated with entering Consumer Affairs
into contracts, eg ensuring that all sections of a contract are read, Victoria: Factsheets –
understood and agreed to before signing

Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021 Page 6 of 11

 Content
Students:
Consumer protection
 identify areas where consumers may need
protection
 explore legal rights and responsibilities as
consumers
 identify consumer protection agencies
 recognise a process for redress as a consumer 
 explore the features and terms of basic
contracts
Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources
 legal consequences for both parties if the terms and conditions of the Lay-by
contract are not met.
Consumer protection
As a class view Downtown Electrical clip and discuss how the consumer MoneySmart:
is protected in this scenario. Participate in structured role-plays to identify Consumer Rights –
situations where consumers may need protection. This may include: Downtown Electrical
 checking that correct change is given when purchasing an item
 checking that goods are without obvious fault and are consistent with
advertised details, eg price, size, colour
checking that a service has been provided as requested, eg shoes have
been re-soled, a punctured bike tyre has been repaired successfully.
Students brainstorm methods of redress that can be used in a range of
consumer scenarios and apply these in structured role-plays. This may
include:
 indicating to a shop assistant that the change has not been given or is
incorrect
 indicating to a shop assistant that goods purchased are inconsistent with
advertised details
 returning a faulty item to a store and asking for a replacement.
Students read through the Refunds, replacements and repairs factsheet
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 Content
Students:
Goods and services
 use a range of strategies to obtain goods and/or
services either physically or online
 recognise the factors that influence consumer
decisions
Being a responsible consumer
 understand the right of consumers to return
damaged or faulty products for refund or
exchange
 demonstrate informed personal consumer and 
financial decision-making
 offer of special deals, eg ‘buy one, get one free’.
Businesses within the market
 explore the different methods businesses use to
Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources
and identify ways of seeking additional assistance to redress consumer
dissatisfaction. This may include:
Consumer Affairs
 recognising when additional assistance may be needed to redress Victoria: Factsheets –
consumer dissatisfaction, eg when a store refuses to replace faulty Refunds, replacements
goods or to correct a repair and repairs
 developing a list of individuals and/or groups who can assist in
advocating for their consumer rights
 demonstrating skills in locating, contacting and communicating with
others to redress consumer dissatisfaction.
Look, think, try before you buy
Through a case study of a known product or service, explore techniques
used to persuade consumers to buy a product by listening to and/or
viewing a range of multimedia advertisements from television, radio,
posters, billboards, catalogues. Techniques that may be discussed
include:
 use of colour, movement, sound, images
 use of high-profile people, eg sports or film personalities
 use of language, eg humour, exaggeration, amount of information
provided.
use of slogans and jingles, eg ‘everybody needs one’, ‘offer ends soon.’
Students view The Dinosaur and as a group discuss the main points of
the clip. How has the company used advertising to get people to buy the Consumer Affairs
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 Content Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources

market or advertise their goods or services product? Do the consumers win or does the company end up winning? Victoria: Scenario 4 –
The Dinosaur
As a class, explore what impulse buying is and discuss the following
questions: What factors influence impulse buying and what strategies
can one use to avoid impulse purchases? Individually, students Identify
any items they, their families or friends may have bought on impulse and
how they felt afterwards.
Students view the digibook Ben buys up big to view an example of
comparing prices in a weekly food shop. Students list observations of Money Smart: Digibook
strategies Ben used to get the best deals and stick to his budget. – Ben buys up big
In pairs, students create visual representations of products and, using
online shopping sites and catalogues, compare prices of products and
services, as well as any features or conditions of purchase. This may
include:
 indicating the need for help when purchasing goods and services and
where to locate help.
 identifying trusted and known adults who can provide help when
purchasing goods and services.
 sorting and matching pictures/photographs of goods and services that
are similar.
 identifying the cheapest price for a range of goods and services from
printed catalogues and/or online catalogues
 telephoning and/or visiting supermarkets to compare the cost of the
same size and brand of grocery item.
 visiting a range of outlets to compare prices, quality and value for money

Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021 Page 9 of 11

 Content Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources

for specific items, eg designer or generic brand sports shoes,

smartphones or tablets, across several outlets
 studying online catalogues, telephoning and/or visiting service providers
to compare the full costs of similar services across several providers, eg
mobile phone plans
 recording information obtained in an appropriate format to demonstrate
price comparisons and share this information with others.
Students watch the Car troubles clip and identify why test driving and
having an adult would have helped the consumer with this purchase. Consumer Affairs
Students identify what he could have done differently. As a group, Victoria: Consuming
discuss why and where it may be appropriate to try items before Clips – Car troubles
purchase. This may include:
 identifying appropriate items that can be tried before purchase, eg
clothing
 requesting assistance to try items, eg trying shoes or clothing for fit,
comfort and appearance; video game trials in store to confirm choice;
sampling ice-cream flavours to confirm choice.

Students: Making an informed purchased

Goods and service Students identify and create a text to follow the steps in a process to
make an informed purchase. This may include:
 identify where specific goods may be obtained
 determining the item to be purchased and the funds available
 use a range of strategies to obtain goods and/or researching through the internet, catalogues and site studies to identify
services either physically or online whether the item can be purchased from one or more outlets, comparing

Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021 Page 10 of 11

 Content
Being a responsible consumer
 identify and locate items for purchase
 handle items appropriately prior to purchase
 make payment appropriately
 understand the right of consumers to return
damaged or faulty products for refund or
exchange
 demonstrate informed personal consumer and
financial decision-making
Consumer protection
 identify areas where consumers may need
protection
Sample unit – Commerce Life Skills, updated March 2021
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment Resources
costs, identifying features and value for money across suppliers
 researching to identify whether items for purchase are made from
recycled materials and/or are presented in recyclable packaging
 recognising the guarantee and/or warranty available
 identifying the conditions for return or exchange of goods.
Students work in pairs or small groups to create a visual representation
and present their findings of their desired product.
Students participate in a simulated or actual site visit to purchase an
item. This may include:
 identifying and locating where the item is to be purchased
 locating the item and checking that it is consistent with advertised details
in respect of price, quality, size and features
 waiting appropriately and in turn to be served or to pay for the item
 tendering appropriate amount to pay for the item at the checkout and
checking the amount of any change due
 retaining the receipt and/or guarantee or warranty in a safe place in case
there is a need to return the item.
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