Lesson Plan

• Describe the concepts of total utility (TU) and marginal utility (MU) and their economic significance.
• Explain the law of diminishing marginal utility and its impact on consumer choice.
• Calculate TU and MU from a given data set using both discrete and continuous methods.
• Interpret TU and MU graphs to predict consumer demand behaviour.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout with the pizza utility table
• Calculators for each student
• Graph paper or digital graphing tool

Begin with a quick poll: “What’s your favourite snack and why?” Connect responses to personal satisfaction, then link to the economic idea of utility. Review the prior lesson on consumer preferences and state that today’s success criteria are to define TU and MU, calculate them, and read related graphs.

1. Do‑Now (5'): Students list the utility they receive from their favourite snack; share a few examples.
2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Define TU and MU, present the formulas (discrete and continuous) with the pizza example.
3. Guided Practice (12'): Work through the pizza table together, calculating MU for each slice; students complete a worksheet.
4. Graphing Activity (10'): Plot TU and MU on graph paper; identify the point where MU crosses zero.
5. Think‑Pair‑Share (8'): Discuss the law of diminishing marginal utility and its implications for demand curves.
6. Formative Check (5'): Quick exit quiz on definitions and a one‑minute calculation.

Summarise how TU rises then plateaus while MU falls, reinforcing the link to consumer demand. Students complete an exit ticket: “State one real‑world example of diminishing marginal utility.” Assign homework to calculate TU and MU for a different good using a provided data set.