Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Economics
Lesson Topic: derivation of an individual firm’s demand for labour using marginal revenue product
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the concept of marginal revenue product of labour (MRPL) and its components.
  • Derive the firm’s labour‑demand curve using the condition MRPL = W.
  • Apply the derivation to a numerical example to determine the optimal number of workers.
  • Analyse how changes in product price, taxes, subsidies or minimum‑wage legislation shift the labour‑demand curve.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Slide deck with derivation steps and example table
  • Printed worksheet with practice problems
  • Graph paper or digital plotting tool
  • Calculator
  • Whiteboard markers
 Introduction:
Imagine a firm deciding how many workers to hire each day to maximise profit. Students should already understand marginal product of labour and basic profit‑maximising rules. By the end of the lesson they will be able to show the full derivation and explain the condition MRPL = W as the success criterion.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Quick recall quiz on MPL and MR concepts.
  2. Teacher‑led derivation (15'): Step‑by‑step walkthrough of the MRPL formula, writing each algebraic step on the board and checking understanding.
  3. Guided numerical example (10'): Use the provided table to calculate MRPL values and identify the profit‑maximising employment level.
  4. Group activity (10'): Students plot the MRPL curve and a horizontal wage line, then interpret the intersection.
  5. Check for understanding (5'): Exit ticket – state the condition for hiring labour and explain how a minimum‑wage change would affect the hiring decision.
Conclusion:
We recap the derivation of the labour‑demand curve and the profit‑maximising rule MRPL = W. Students submit their exit tickets, demonstrating they can apply the rule to new scenarios. For homework, complete the worksheet that asks them to recompute labour demand after a change in product price and an output tax.