Consumer Reports Lesson Plan 1: Introducing Consumer Reports Magazine

CONSUMER REPORTS is a magazine with a unique style and mission. Published by Consumers Union (CU), an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization, it provides consumers with information and advice about products, services, and issues that affect their everyday lives. Over the course of a year, CONSUMER REPORTS publishes more than 60 full-length comparative product-testing reports on a wide range of consumer products as well as major reports on services and consumer issues. In addition, the magazine includes regular departments, such as "Front Lines" and "Your Money." Before assigning an article to your students, introduce them to the magazine to help them become familiar with the kinds of information it offers. Guide them to see how the magazine relates to their lives and how they can use it to become better consumers and to make informed decisions about marketplace choices and vital public issues.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES To become familiar with the format and content of CONSUMER REPORTS. To learn to use test and other CONSUMER REPORTS and information to form opinions and make informed decisions about marketplace choices and matters that affect consumers. To identify problems and issues that concern consumers. To explore the relationship of consumers, business, and government in the marketplace.   VOCABULARY consumer consumer issue product service    KEY CONCEPTS CONSUMER REPORTS has been serving consumers since 1936. It reports on name-brand testing and ratings of products and a wide range of services. It also analyzes problems, issues, and topics of interest to consumers. CONSUMER REPORTS is published by a nonprofit, independent organization, Consumers Union (CU). CU's mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers." In addition to CONSUMER REPORTS, CU produces a number of other publications and provides a wide range of services to consumers (see back cover). CONSUMER REPORTS goes to great lengths to keep tests fair and objective. Most of its product reports are based on extensive scientific tests. All the products it tests are bought in stores, not borrowed from manufacturers that might specially inspect samples beforehand to have no flaws. CONSUMER REPORTS further protects its objectivity by having no ties with companies whose products and services it reviews. It does not accept outside advertising or grants, donations, or money of any kind from the corporate sector. Its ratings may not be used by companies in their ads. As consumers, Americans must make many choices and decisions every day. Being informed is the single most important consumer activity. TEACHING STRATEGIES   BEFORE READING Discuss the word consumer Who is a consumer? What are some problems and concerns people have as consumers? Why is it important to be an informed consumer? What does being an informed consumer entail? Where could you go to get help with or information about consumer problems? (Consider local and state consumer affairs or attorneys general offices, trade associations, Better Business Bureaus, the consumer media, or consumer groups such as Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America.) Explore what students already know about CONSUMER REPORTS. What kinds of information would you expect to find in CONSUMER REPORTS? Have you or any member of your family ever consulted CONSUMER REPORTS for advice about buying a product or service? If so, what was the result?   STUDENT ACTIVITY 1-A1: Consumer Survey Have students complete the questionnaire to find out how consumer-savvy they are.   OBJECTIVES OF ACTIVITY To assess consumer awareness among students. To identify the kinds of information and skills consumers need for making informed choices. To conduct a survey and interpret information from a survey.   ACTIVITY PLAN Use the activity sheet to conduct a consumer-awareness survey of the class. Have students tally results and present their findings in charts and graphs. Use the information to plan follow-up activities for the year. Review each question one by one. Discuss answers and encourage students to justify them. Make clear that students understand that all the items in question 1 are consumer issues. We are consumers when we buy products and services and most economic issues are consumer issues. Health and safety are also consumer issues because they often involve purchasing products (food, medicine, health and sports equipment, etc.) and health services. Discuss what it means to be consumer-savvy. Have students determine how consumer-savvy the class is as a whole. Did students do better on some points than on others? What's the explanation? Discuss why consumer awareness is important and explore what students might do to become more consumer-savvy. Have students develop consumer awareness goals they'd like to work on during the school year. ANSWERS: 1) someone who uses goods and services; 2) All are consumer issues; 3) Product claims made in ads and labels and by salespeople and celebrity spokespersons are not necessarily reliable; 4) Return it to the seller; 5) always; 6) Seeking out brand information is always a good idea, but most important when you're buying expensive items like cars, bikes, and CD players; 7) All are useful, but expiration date is most important. And to people with allergies, checking ingredients may be essential; 8) all; 9) during early childhood.    ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES Follow-up survey At the end of the course, have students use this activity sheet to conduct another class survey. Compare results to those of the first survey. Have students become more consumer-savvy? Also. Have students create other questionnaires to find out about successful and unsuccessful experiences students have had as consumers. Explore random sampling.Brainstorm whether or not a class survey represents the consumer awareness of teen-agers as a whole, or just the class population. Discuss ways surveyors get truly representative samplings. Consumer tips. Have students brainstorm lists of consumer do's and don'ts. Have students add to the list throughout the year. At the end of the course, have students publish a consumer booklet to share with other students.   STUDENT DISCUSSION To help students get an overview of the work of Consumers Union and the magazine's content, encourage students to read the table of contents, the copyright and subscription information, the masthead, and the information about CU's work (in the first pages of the magazine). Discuss: What kinds of information can consumers expect to find in a typical issue of CONSUMER REPORTS? How much of this information do you think is important to students your age? Explain. How does CONSUMER REPORTS get its information? (Product tests, surveys, investigations, interviews, library research, etc.) From what other sources can you get information like this? Where does CU buy the products it tests? Where and how does it carry out its testing? Who publishes CONSUMER REPORTS? What kind of an organization is CU? Is it a for-profit or a nonprofit organization? What's the difference? Where does CU get its money? How is CU organized? What body of people directs the organization? Who's in charge of the day-to-day work of the company? How can people become members of CU? What is CU's no-commercialization policy? Why doesn't it accept ads? What's unique about this policy? How does this policy affect the content and format of the magazine? How might this affect the way people view CONSUMER REPORTS information? Explain. Student Activity 1-A2: Your CONSUMER REPORTS Quotient   OBJECTIVES OF ACTIVITY To review the kinds of information Consumer Reports provides & learn where to find it. To use a table of contents to find information. To develop previewing skills in order to determine the kinds of information likely to be found in an article.   ACTIVITY PLAN Have students complete the activity sheet to check their understanding of the content and format of a current issue of Consumer Reports. Review students' answers with the class. Have students form some generalities about the kinds of information contained in Consumer Reports and how they could use the magazine to become more effective consumers. Help students distinguish between major articles and regular departments. Discuss which regular departments are likely to be most important to teen-agers. Ask students to explain why the product article they selected interested them. Did they agree or disagree with Consumer Reports' recommendation about this product? Suggest that students read the article they previewed. Then have them determine if their inferences about the article were correct.    ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES Write additional questions. Have each student write one or two additional questions about the magazine. Collect students' questions and use them to further explore the magazine's content, purpose, and format. Compare CONSUMER REPORTS to other magazines. Ask students to bring in some sports, hobby, general-interest, and other consumer magazines popular with teens. Working in teams, have students browse through the magazines and note the content of major articles, types of departments, magazine format, and amount and kind of advertising. How does Consumer Reports compare? When and why would you consult Consumer Reports? Another magazine instead?

  

After students become familiar with the magazine content and format, encourage them to choose an article to read that interests them.

Write a letter to the editor. Encourage students to write letters to CONSUMER REPORTS if they have concerns or questions.

Student Activity 1-A3: Reporter's Notebook

ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES To identify and summarize the main points from a Consumer Reports article. To add information drawn from one's own experience that is applicable to the article. To form one's own conclusions and/or recommendations. To write a brief consumer report based on the information gathered and the conclusions drawn.   ACTIVITY PLAN Have students choose and read an article that's likely to interest the class. Then have students use the reproducible activity sheet to gather the facts from the article and form their own conclusions. Have students write their own brief consumer report based on the facts they gathered and the conclusions they drew. Have students read their reports to the class and answer questions their classmates might have.    ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES Prepare an outline. Have students prepare an outline of a typical Consumer Reports article. Direct students to include main points, secondary points, and supporting details in their outlines. Create a class consumer reports newsletter. Have students use information from Consumer Reports articles of particular interest to teen-agers to create their own consumer reports newsletter. Research and write a brief article suitable for "Front Lines." Have students identify some environmental, safety, product test, or personal finance information and insights that would make good features for "Front Lines." Have them research and outline their stories and then write them in the "Front Lines" style and format.