Protecting yourself as a consumer

Updated Nov 10, 2022

Students research consumer rights to respond to real-life scenarios that demonstrate the importance of consumer protection laws.

Big idea

Consumer protection laws exist to protect the rights of consumers and to prevent businesses from engaging in unlawful practices that may give them an advantage over competitors.

Essential questions

How do consumer protection laws help you?
How can you make informed choices in the marketplace and get help if you think your rights have been violated?

Objectives

Know basic consumer rights and where to go for help with consumer complaints
Practice recognizing when consumer protection laws are broken

What students will do

Become familiar with consumer protection laws through research and discussion.
Determine whether consumers would have protections in some real-life scenarios and research evidence to support their answer.

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Teacher guide

Protecting yourself as a consumer (guide)

Student materials

Protecting yourself as a consumer (worksheet)

Note: Please remember to consider your students’ accommodations and special needs to ensure that all students are able to participate in a meaningful way.

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Key information for this activity

Building block

(What are the building blocks?)

Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

Topic

Protect (Managing risk, Preventing fraud and identity theft)

School subject

CTE (Career and technical education), English or language arts, Social studies or history

Audience

Grade level: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)

Age range: 13-15, 16-19

Student characteristics: Low income, Rural, Urban

Activity characteristics

Activity type: Individual, Small group, Whole class

Teaching strategy: Cooperative learning, Simulation

Bloom’s Taxonomy level: Apply, Evaluate

Activity duration: 45-60 minutes

National standards

(What are the national standards? )

Standards: II. Spending, VI. Managing risk

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