Annenberg Foundation
The Progressives
The Progressive Era brought about a word that often leads to turmoil—change! Learners research the late 1800s in American history to uncover societal issues gripping the nation back in the day. The 15th lesson of a 22-part series...
Beyond Benign
Orb-It
How do the products you use rate on a greeness scale? Scholars use a tool to analyze shampoos and cars for their sustainability. They consider factors that affect the environment, the economy, and equity. This is the ninth lesson in a...
Curated OER
Travels of a T-Shirt
Eighth graders recognize the natural resources used in an energy web. In this consumerism lesson students identify solutions to over consumption and the impact of consumerism.
Curated OER
Meet Kit: An American Girl
Students explore economics by participating in a role-play activity. In this consumerism lesson plan, students identify the Great Depression, the cause of the financial collapse and the devastation it caused people their own age....
Curated OER
The Artist as Entrepreneur
Some kids know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. This careers lesson aids upper graders in considering who they are as artists and how they can profit from their art, making a career out of something they love. This is a...
Curated OER
Shopping-Unit Pricing
Comparing unit prices of food products is a skill that learners will use for the rest of their lives. Here is a simple plan that provides practice calculating the unit price for various grocery store products. Use two jars with differing...
Curated OER
The Giving Tree
Students explore wants and needs. In this ecology and economics lesson, students listen to the story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and compile a class list of what the boy got from the tree. Students categorize these items as...
Curated OER
Ad Awareness from Admongo.gov
Students explore mass media by completing worksheets in class. In this consumerism instructional activity, students discuss the meaning behind advertisements and how they are used in television, the Internet and print. Students analyze a...
Curated OER
Paying With Their Health
Students consider the plight of immigrant workers. In this undocumented immigrant lesson, students compare the worker of the Industrialization era to the undocumented immigrant workers of today. Students read and discuss literature about...
Curated OER
Economics: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
First graders explore the idea of an economy by reading a children's story. For this consumerism lesson, 1st graders read the story If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and discuss goods provided by people in a community. Students create...
Curated OER
Evaluating Information on Food Labels
What kinds of foods include corn? Corn syrup? Start by viewing a clip of Food Inc. with your middle or high schoolers. Then, study a list of corn-derived ingredients, encouraging your class to see how many food products contain corn. A...
Federal Trade Commission
Ad Awareness
Movie theaters, shopping malls, television, the Internet ... no matter where people go, they are inundated with advertisements. Scholars discuss the topic of ad awareness using the first of four Admongo lessons about advertising. Pupils...
Curated OER
The Market System and Consumerism
Students examine their own consumption habits. Using various advertisements, they discuss their role in showing consumers what they must have in their lives. As a class, they encourage each other to change their habits and discuss how...
Curated OER
Track the Path of Coffee From Farm to Store Shelf
Students investigate the cultivation and marketing of coffee. In this global studies lesson, students consider the connections of the 21st century world as they explore how coffee makes it from farms to their homes. Students consider the...
Curated OER
Critical Consumerism
Learners investigate the ways companies target the teenage demographic. In this advertising lesson, students discuss in focus groups what they like to buy. Learners also complete a related worksheet.
Curated OER
Nutrition and the Media: Cereal Box Consumerism
How many treats do you buy each week? Learners investigate diets and how the media tricks consumers into purchasing unhealthy snacks. They will investigate the designs and logos affiliated with cereal boxes and identify specific phrases...
Visa
Credit
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a credit card? Don't miss this important life skills and financial literacy lesson plan, which focuses on consumer responsibilities, creditworthiness, and establishing a credit history.
Curated OER
The Persuaders
Have your upper graders watch the documentary, "The Persuaders" as they explore how advertisers try to gain potential customers. The video is followed by a discussion and close examination of new marketing trends and strategies.
Curated OER
Big Branding on Campus: Reading Informational Text
This New York Times "Learning Network" activity poses 11 questions on an article and video about commercial branding and marketing on college campuses. The related article, "On the Market: Thinking Critically About Advertising", is...
Curated OER
That's the Spirit
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
Global Oneness Project
Today’s Native America
The 2016-2017 protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) motivated Camille Seaman to create "We Are Still Here," a photo essay featuring portraits of contemporary Native Americans who protested the pipeline. This eight-page packet,...
Curated OER
Saving Strawberry Farm
Students explore U.S. History by analyzing the Great Depression. In this economic instability lesson plan, students read fictitious accounts of a farm dealing with the loss of a Strawberry Farm and discuss the reasons behind the loss....
Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom: Unfair of Deceptive Sales Practices
Middle and high schoolers learn to judge fair and unfair sales practices. They read, discuss, and work through hypothetical situations to evaluate whether the sales practices were deceptive or unfair. Handouts are included.
College Board
Evaluating Sources: How Credible Are They?
How can learners evaluate research sources for authority, accuracy, and credibility? By completing readings, discussions, and graphic organizers, scholars learn how to properly evaluate sources to find credible information. Additionally,...