Lesson

2: Investigate payment options and calculate wage.

Duration: 100 mins
Victorian Curriculum Link:
Research the way the work environment is changing in contemporary Australia and analyse
the implications for current and future work (VCEBW025)
Examine the roles and responsibilities of participants in the changing Australian or global
workplace (VCEBW026)
Learning intentions:

To develop an understanding of work implications on the local and global economies.

To develop an understanding of rate and percentage.
To develop an understanding of pay and various modes of such.
To assess rate and percentage in regards to work.
To develop an understanding of opportunity cost in regards to work, i.e. the activities or
expenditures that are forgone whilst at work.

Success criteria:
On successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to

Make inferences about the meanings of these concepts.

Make inferences on their effects and implications on the local and global economies.
Identify the meaning behind opportunity cost and prove examples in relation to work.
Identify various modes of pay, highlighting pros and cons of each.
Infer the impact of work on the economy.


2.1

What the teacher is doing?

Introduction to Work:

What the students are doing?

- Teacher conducts a class discussion about work, ways

of earning money.

- Students engage in class discussion,

providing insight of their own experiences
working at their part-time jobs.

- Teacher draws a Venn-diagram, targets questioning to

compare and contrast ways/methods of getting paid.

- Students analyse, compare and contrast

various pay methods.

- Teacher asks students to contribute personal

experiences, for example, part-time jobs.

- Students suggest alternatives foregone in

the example provided.

Time
20
mins

- Teacher asks students to consider the implications of

their work contributions to the economy.
- Teacher highlights the importance of work using a
student as an example. For example, Johnny works at
Hungry Jacks and he earns $100 per week. Johnny then
takes 50% of his earnings and stores them in his
savings. With the remaining $50, Johnny purchases a
new t-shirt and jumper. By spending his money, Johnny
ultimately pays another employee elsewhere and
creates the need for the manufacturer to create
another t-shirt and jumper. Therefore, Johnny indirectly
creates work and a minor money cycle, which generates
movement in, and boosts the local economy.
- Teacher asks students for opportunity costs foregone in
the previous example.
2.2

Dream job:

- Teacher asks students to identify their dream job and

research the average pay, working conditions and
suggest the importance of that job in the local
economy.

- Students identify their dream job and

research factors associated with it

15
mins

- Students implications of the role that job has

in society and in the economy.
- Students briefly present their findings to the
class

2.3

Past and Present payment methods:

- Teacher conducts class discussion regarding frequency
of pay now (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, etc.) and
other payment options (salary, pro rata, commission)
- Teacher discusses online money transfers and
compares to cash payments of the 1900s.

- Students engage in the discussion and

provide insight into their opinions of which
payment method is better.

15
mins

- Students identify the payment methods of

their dream job and current job.
- Students make implications for the future.

- Teacher asks students to identify the payment methods

of their dream job and current job.
2.4

Mathematical calculations:
-Teacher demonstrates how to calculate rate and
percentage in pay.
-Teacher asks students to identify each of the terms
above in relation to their dream job.

- Students observe and make notes on

calculations.
- Students research and calculate various rates
and percentages of their dream job.

15
mins

2.5

Global economy:
- Teacher provides the following example and asks
students make implications on its effects on the local and
global economies.
Johnny works at Hungry Jacks and he earns $100 per
week. Johnny then takes 50% of his earnings and stores
them in his savings. With the remaining $50, Johnny
purchases a new t-shirt and jumper online from England.
The $50 covers shipping costs. The t-shirt was
manufactured in Indonesia, while the jumper was
manufactured in England.

- Students consider the implications of this

scenario.

30
mins

- In pairs, students work collaboratively on the

example to identify its social and economic
effects.

- Teacher informs students that the implications must be

supported by economic reasoning and is to be submitted
in the form of a PowerPoint/Key Note. Work that is not
completed in class becomes home learning.
2.6

Conclusion:
- Teacher conducts class discussion revising the content
covered.
- As a class, identify whether the learning intentions have
been met.
- Verify the above using light questioning.

-Students engage in discussion, identifying and

revising their learning.

5
mins