Lesson 2 - Comparing best buys
Introduction
Watch the video for an introduction to the lesson.
Activity 1 - Introduction to best buys
Watch the video for Kochie’s tips on understanding supermarket sales tactics.
Click on the image to visit the Bulk buying can halve your costs, and not just at supermarkets page on the news.com.au website so you can watch the video.
Answer the following questions in your exercise book or folder.
What do you learn from the tips?
Are these tips always true?
What do you wonder?
Activity 2 - Best buy calculations
You often see businesses advertising buying items in bulk to save money. How do you know if you are actually saving money though? How do you calculate how much money you are saving?
Task 1 - The unitary method
The unitary method we looked at in Lesson 1, can also be used to find the best buy. This method is used to find the value of one ‘unit’.
By finding the value of one unit you are able to compare items of varying quantities and make informed decisions about which deal is the best value for money.
Watch this video to learn how to calculate the best buy.
Task 2
Watch the following clip that demonstrates how to use mathematics to determine the best buy.
Calculating Best Buys (how to use two comparable methods)
Duration: 5:13
Task 3
Complete the Unit price game activity on the Maths is Fun website to determine the best buy.
To use the interactive click on the image to open the link in a new tab.
Activity 3 - Determining the best buy
Task 1
Not everything you see on advertisements are necessarily correct. At times the supermarket can show incorrect information that misleads buyers.
Consider the following three images of pricing. (Note: In the middle image pretend it says dollars and cents instead of pounds and pence.)
In your exercise book or folder use mathematical calculations and reasoning to explain why the buyer is presented with information that may not be entirely correct and may mislead them.
Adapted from Elliot Volkman (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Adapted from Rubbermaid Products (CC BY 2.0)
Task 2 - Best coupon?
Determine which coupon is best to use by completing the Which is the better coupon activity on the MathsGames website.
To use the interactive click on the image to open the link in a new tab.
Note: You may have to watch an ad before the game will start.
Activity 4 - Is buying in bulk always the cheapest option?
Companies like Mega Savers and Costco are famous for selling items in bulk.
Is this always cheapest?
Is it always the best buy?
Complete the "Is buying in bulk always the cheapest?" activity using the Google Docs template.
Click on the button to open a new tab and view the Google Doc.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Activities too easy?
Play the Would you rather? game.
Visit the Category: 6th-8th page on the Would You Rather Math website.
Select at least 8 scenarios to evaluate.
Using appropriate calculations and mathematical reasoning, decide which option you would rather.
Record your calculations and reasoning for each scenario in your exercise book or folder.
Handing in your work
Don't forget to hand in the work you completed today!
Your teacher will have told you to do one of the following:
Upload any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your Learning Management system (MS Teams, Google Classroom for example).
Email any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your teacher.
Make sure you keep any hand written work you did in your exercise book or folder as your teacher may need to see these when you are back in class.
Student reflection
Let us know how you feel about this lesson.