demand
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of demand
- Apply demand to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for demand first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: Economics Exam Tips
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: demand
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about demand. Then check against the key terms: Economics Exam Tips. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Economics Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Economics Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: demand. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Economics because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: demand. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Economics because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Explain the difference between a movement along the demand curve and a shift of the demand curve.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about demand.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: demand
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on demand. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Key Fact: Demand is the quantity consumers are willing and able to buy at a given price over a period of time.
Key Fact: Law of demand: as price rises, quantity demanded falls (inverse relationship), shown by a downward-sloping demand curve.
Key Fact: Factors shifting demand: income, tastes/fashion, price of substitutes and complements, population, advertising.
Key Fact: Movement ALONG the curve = price change (affects quantity demanded). SHIFT of the curve = non-price factor change (changes demand at every price).
Key Fact: Market demand = sum of all individual demand curves at each price level.
Economics Exam Tips: When analysing demand changes, use the SIF framework: Shift or movement? Identify the factor. Follow through to equilibrium. Confusing shifts and movements is the most common exam error.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | Change in price of the good itself | Favourable change in non-price factor |
| What changes | Quantity demanded | Demand at every price |
| Income effect | Higher price = less real purchasing power | Higher income = more purchasing power |
| UK example | Gas price rises, consumption falls | Rising wages increase restaurant demand |
| Diagram | Slide along existing curve | Whole curve moves right |
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: Explain the difference between a movement along the demand curve and a shift of the demand curve.
Answer: Movement along: caused ONLY by price change (e.g. coffee falls from £3 to £2, consumers buy more). Shift: caused by non-price factor (e.g. incomes rise, demand increases at EVERY price).
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: demand
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: Economics Exam Tips. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Q1: Explain the difference between a movement along the demand curve and a shift of the demand curve.
Answer: Movement along: caused ONLY by price change (e.g. coffee falls from £3 to £2, consumers buy more). Shift: caused by non-price factor (e.g. incomes rise, demand increases at EVERY price).
Q2: Describe three factors that could cause an increase in demand for electric cars.
Answer: Three factors: (1) Rising incomes — electric cars are normal goods. (2) Government subsidies — reducing effective cost. (3) Environmental concern — changing tastes. (4) Rising petrol prices — making electric cars relatively cheaper to run.
Q3: Analyse how a rise in petrol prices would affect demand for public transport and demand for large cars.
Answer: Petrol and public transport are substitutes: petrol rises → demand for public transport shifts right. Petrol and large cars are complements: petrol rises → running large cars becomes expensive → demand for large cars shifts left. This shows intermarket relationships.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: demand
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Extended Answer
Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate how a recession (falling incomes) would affect demand for supermarket own-brand products and luxury restaurant meals. <div class="
A grade 9 response will: identify own-brand as inferior goods (demand increases as incomes fall) and restaurant meals as normal goods (demand decreases); analyse the extent; conclude: recession typically benefits value retailers and hurts premium services.
Exam Tips: ALWAYS distinguish 'demand' (whole curve) from 'quantity demanded' (a point). Price change = movement; other factor = shift. | When explaining shifts, specify DIRECTION: right = increase, left = decrease. | Substitutes: price of A rises → demand for B rises. Complements: price of A rises → demand for B falls.
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: A rise in income always increases demand for all goods. Correct: A rise in income increases demand for NORMAL goods but DECREASES demand for INFERIOR goods (cheaper alternatives people buy less of as they get richer — e.g. own-brand products, bus travel). Always consider whether the good is normal or inferior.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how demand connects to another Economics topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of demand
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in demand?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: Economics Exam Tips (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on demand from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain demand to someone else in your own words (10 mins)