Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Economics
Lesson Topic: economic structure: employment composition: primary, secondary and tertiary sectors
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors and typical employment shares for low‑, middle‑ and high‑income economies.
  • Explain the reasons why employment shifts from primary to tertiary sectors as a country develops.
  • Analyse employment data to calculate sectoral changes between development levels.
  • Evaluate the economic implications of sectoral composition for productivity and fiscal revenue.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Printed handouts of the employment‑share table
  • Worksheet with calculation exercises
  • Laptop with spreadsheet software
  • Diagram of a stacked‑bar chart (digital or printed)
Introduction:
Begin with a quick poll: “Where do most people work in a developing country?” Review prior knowledge of the three economic sectors, then state today’s success criteria – identify sectoral employment patterns across development levels and calculate labour‑distribution shifts.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’) – Mini‑quiz matching sector definitions to real‑world examples.
  2. Teacher mini‑lecture (10’) – Present sector employment percentages with slides and highlight patterns.
  3. Guided analysis (15’) – Small groups examine the provided table and calculate the change from low‑income to middle‑income employment figures.
  4. Class discussion (10’) – Groups share results; teacher links findings to technology, capital, demand and urbanisation.
  5. Application activity (10’) – Worksheet where students predict sector shares for a hypothetical high‑income country.
  6. Formative check (5’) – Exit ticket: one sentence explaining why the tertiary sector dominates in advanced economies.
Conclusion:
Recap how employment composition signals economic development and the forces driving the sectoral transition. Collect exit tickets, address any misconceptions, and assign homework to research a country’s current sectoral employment data and prepare a brief report.