Lesson Plan

• Describe the primary, secondary, tertiary (and optional quaternary) sectors and their economic roles.
• Explain the main reasons why the relative importance of these sectors changes over time.
• Analyse the consequences of sectoral shifts for employment, regional development, the environment and business strategy.
• Apply analytical tools such as PESTLE, SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces to evaluate sectoral change.

• Projector and laptop for slides
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout of sector‑GDP table
• Case‑study worksheets (UK sectoral shift)
• Online poll/exit‑ticket tool (e.g., Mentimeter)
• Graph paper for quick sketches

Ask students to picture an economy where most people work on farms and then contrast it with today’s service‑driven workplaces. Review their prior knowledge of primary and secondary sectors and explain that today they will uncover why the service (tertiary) sector now dominates. Success criteria: students will identify key drivers, link them to outcomes, and use business analysis tools.

1. Do‑now (5'): Mind‑map jobs in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors on the board.
2. Teacher input (10'): Slide presentation of sector definitions, GDP trends and the typical development sequence.
3. Group activity (15'): Analyse a UK case study; fill a cause‑effect chart linking technological, economic, global, policy and consumer drivers to sectoral change.
4. Whole‑class discussion (10'): Each group shares one consequence (employment, regional, environmental, strategic); teacher adds synthesis.
5. Analytical tools mini‑workshop (10'): Apply PESTLE to a scenario of moving production from manufacturing to services.
6. Check for understanding (5'): Exit ticket – one sentence stating the most important reason for the shift and its biggest consequence.

Summarise how technology, development stage, globalisation, policy and consumer preferences drive sectoral change and the ripple effects on jobs, regions and the environment. Collect the exit tickets and remind students to complete a short essay answering the sample exam question for homework.