Lesson Plan

• Describe how a government‑mandated minimum wage acts as a price floor in the labour market.
• Explain the short‑run effects of a binding NMW on labour supply, demand and unemployment.
• Analyse how elasticity of labour demand influences the magnitude of these effects.
• Evaluate the distributional impacts of the NMW on workers, employers and the wider economy.
• Apply the concepts to real‑world examples and exam‑style questions.

• Projector and screen for diagram presentation
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout with labour‑market diagram and summary table
• Worksheet with NMW case‑study questions
• Calculator for elasticity calculations
• Sticky notes for quick polls

Begin with a quick poll: “What would happen if the government set a wage floor above the current market wage?” Connect to prior learning on supply and demand curves, then outline that by the end of the lesson students will be able to identify and evaluate the effects of a national minimum wage on wage determination.

1. Do‑now (5'): Students answer the poll on sticky notes; teacher records responses.
2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Review labour‑market equilibrium and introduce the NMW as a price floor, using a projected diagram.
3. Guided analysis (15'): Work through the six effects of a binding NMW, discussing supply, demand, unemployment and elasticity; students complete a worksheet table.
4. Case‑study activity (10'): Small groups examine a real‑world example (e.g., UK) and identify short‑run vs long‑run impacts; groups present findings.
5. Check for understanding (5'): Exit ticket – one sentence stating whether the NMW is binding and its main effect.

Summarise how a binding minimum wage can raise wages for low‑paid workers but may also create unemployment depending on demand elasticity. Ask students to write an exit ticket stating the key effect they consider most significant. For homework, assign a short essay comparing the NMW in two countries.