Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Economics
Lesson Topic: Definition of market disequilibrium
Learning Objective/s:
  • Define market equilibrium and market disequilibrium.
  • Distinguish between surplus and shortage and explain the associated price pressures.
  • Identify at least three causes of market disequilibrium.
  • Analyse how price adjustments move a market toward equilibrium.
  • Apply the concepts to a real‑world example such as a housing or commodity market.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Slide deck with demand‑supply diagram
  • Printed worksheet with short questions
  • Markers and chart paper for group sketching
  • Calculator (optional)
 Introduction:
Begin with a quick poll: “What happens when a store runs out of a popular product?” Connect students’ experiences of shortages and surpluses to the economic concepts they will study. Explain that today they will learn how such imbalances are described and how markets respond. Success will be measured by their ability to label equilibrium, surplus and shortage on a diagram and explain the resulting price movements.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’) – Students write a brief response to a recent news headline about a price surge; share a few examples.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10’) – Present definitions of equilibrium, disequilibrium, surplus and shortage using slides and the formulae.
  3. Guided analysis (12’) – Examine the consequences table; discuss why surplus creates downward price pressure and shortage creates upward pressure.
  4. Group activity (15’) – Teams sketch demand‑supply curves showing a surplus and a shortage, label price movements, and present their diagrams.
  5. Causes brainstorm (8’) – Whole‑class list of factors that shift demand or supply (preferences, technology, government policy, external shocks) and link them to earlier points.
  6. Check for understanding (5’) – Exit ticket: “In one sentence, describe how a surplus corrects itself through price change.”
Conclusion:
Recap that market disequilibrium is a temporary state and that price adjustments naturally push the market back toward equilibrium. Collect exit tickets to gauge understanding, and assign homework: find a current news article illustrating a surplus or shortage and explain the expected price response using the concepts learned.