Comparing Generic Brands to National Brands

Overview of Lesson

Collecting prices of store-brand (generic) foods and comparing them against national brands allows students to make logical inferences about product prices in the grocery store.

Goal

Students will learn from a real-life example of cost comparison between generic and national brands.

 

Objectives

• Students will gather information.

• Students will create a table to compare product prices between generic and national brands.

Ohio Academic Content Standards

Mathematics
Data Analysis and Probability (Grades 3-4)

Benchmark A:
Gather and organize data from surveys and classroom experiments, including data collected over a period of time.

Benchmark B:
Read and interpret tables, charts, graphs (bar, picture, line, line plot) and timelines as sources of information, identify main idea, draw conclusions and make predictions.

Indicators:
Grade 3
1. Collect and organize data from an experiment, such as recording and classifying observations or measurements, in response to a question posed.

5. Match a set of data with a graphical representation of the data.

Grade 4
1. Create a plan for collecting data for a specific purpose

2. Represent and interpret data using tables, bar graphs, line plots and line graphs.

Mathematics
Data Analysis and Probability (Grades 5-6)

Benchmark B:
Interpret data by looking for patterns and relationships, draw and justify conclusions and answer related questions.

Indicators:
Grade 5
4. Determine appropriate data to be collected to answer questions posed by students or teacher, collect and display data and clearly communicate findings.

Grade 6
6. Make logical inferences of statistical data.

Materials

• Grocery store flyers and/or newspaper circulars, or a list of prices of both generic and national-brand products

Procedure

1. Using grocery store flyers and newspaper circulars, have students research prices for generic brands and national brands. In lieu of flyers and circulars, teachers may give students the information

2. Have the students calculate the unit price of each item. The unit price, if written as a fraction, always has a denominator of 1.
   
   Example: $.90 for 9 ounces = .90/9 = .10/1 or a unit price of $.10 for 1 ounce.

3. Students then develop a table to organize the data.

4. Encourage the students to make logical inferences from the data.

Evaluation

Use the data tables developed by the students, plus their lists of inferences.