Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

supply

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: supply

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about supply. 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.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: supply. 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 supply curve and a shift of the supply curve.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about supply.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: supply

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on supply. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Supply is the quantity producers are willing and able to sell at a given price over a period of time.
Key Fact: Law of supply: as price rises, quantity supplied rises (positive relationship), shown by an upward-sloping supply curve.
Key Fact: Factors shifting supply: costs of production, technology, taxes and subsidies, number of firms, weather (agriculture).
Key Fact: Movement ALONG the curve = price change. SHIFT of the curve = non-price factor (costs, technology, etc.).
Key Fact: An increase in supply shifts right (more at every price); a decrease shifts left.
Economics Exam Tips: When analysing supply changes, use the CSE framework: Cost factor (what changed?), Shift direction (right or left?), Effect on market (what happens to equilibrium?).
TermMeaningExample
CauseChange in price of the good itselfFavourable non-price factor
What changesQuantity suppliedSupply at every price
Profit effectHigher price = higher profit incentiveLower costs = higher profit at each price
UK exampleHigher milk price, farms produce moreNew technology increases car output
DiagramSlide along existing curveWhole curve moves right

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: Explain the difference between a movement along the supply curve and a shift of the supply curve.

Answer: Movement along: caused by price change only (e.g. market price rises, firms supply more). Shift: caused by non-price factor (e.g. technology reduces costs, firms supply more 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: supply

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 supply curve and a shift of the supply curve.

Answer: Movement along: caused by price change only (e.g. market price rises, firms supply more). Shift: caused by non-price factor (e.g. technology reduces costs, firms supply more at every price).

Q2: Describe three factors that could cause an increase in the supply of solar panels.

Answer: Three factors: (1) Improved technology — more efficient manufacturing reduces costs. (2) Government subsidies — reducing production costs. (3) Lower cost of raw materials (silicon). (4) More firms entering the market.

Q3: Analyse how a rise in the minimum wage might affect supply of goods from labour-intensive firms.

Answer: Higher minimum wage increases labour costs for labour-intensive firms. This raises production costs, shifting supply left (less supplied at each price). The firm may raise prices, reduce output, automate, or absorb costs.

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: supply

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 whether government subsidies for renewable energy effectively increase green electricity supply. <div class="

A grade 9 response will: analyse how subsidies reduce costs, shifting supply right; consider effectiveness (UK renewables grew rapidly); evaluate drawbacks (cost to taxpayers, dependency risk); conclude: subsidies are effective short-to-medium term for emerging technologies, but should be phased out as renewables become cost-competitive.

Exam Tips: Same rule as demand: change in own price = movement; change in other factors = shift. | Always specify shift DIRECTION: right = increase in supply, left = decrease. | Supply shifts are usually caused by COST changes: lower costs shift right, higher costs shift left.
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: A subsidy always benefits consumers because it reduces the price they pay. Correct: While a subsidy lowers consumer prices, the benefits are split between consumers and producers depending on elasticity. If demand is inelastic, producers may keep most of the subsidy as higher profit. Also, consumers bear the cost through taxation.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how supply connects to another Economics topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of supply
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in supply?"

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

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)