Buy Smart teachers' resources
The Buy Smart Program can help teachers implement the Australian Curriculum in the classroom for students in Years 4 and up.
Watch the video on using Buy Smart in the classroom.
As a teacher, why do you think the Buy Smart Program is important?
Well just understanding consumer rights. The students don't know their rights.
So, I really appreciated when Patrick Fox came through and actually spoke to the kids as well, just to give them ideas and help them to understand it a bit more.
And then they could go further and explore and research and the things they came up with after that were pretty remarkable.
It's really broadening their minds and really understanding their rights—it's actually a good service to the country, to let them know more about consumer rights.
What lessons were learnt from incorporating Buy Smart into your classroom?
Well, we did major consumer decisions and they had to go through:
- What are their rights?
- Can they actually go and refund a car when they buy it, when they go into a dealership, if it's a new car?
There were some surprises that came across.
It was good for the students and they've made a beautiful, tangible project with something that you can really look at and understand and explore and to make it interesting. So that's something very relevant for them.
Did the Office of Fair Trading visit your school for a free presentation?
They came to our school and explained the whole story to us and gave a little presentation that sparked a lot of interest for the kids to go and explore and find out more.
Communication from Chris, also brilliant. Really appreciated his emails coming through, very prompt with things, so we never had a problem thinking where we stand, so he was very clear in his communication.
Did any of your students win a prize in the Buy Smart Competition?
Well, we actually have 2 students with entries that are going to receive something, so that’s actually fantastic—just to be able to come here all the way from Gladstone.
We don't know—the anticipation—what they're going to get, but it is just a privilege to be here.
We've only done it the last 3 years. The first year we had an entry that also came, so it's the hype and it broadens the kids’ perspectives on what's out in the world as well. They work and they can actually get something for it, which makes them more enthusiastic about the issues.
Consumer rights is just so broad—understanding scams, how to make major consumer decisions are the topics we entered this time around. So yeah, awesome stuff!
Teachers' resources
Buy Smart teachers' resources include curriculum-linked lesson plans and classroom activities to introduce and explore consumer and financial issues.
Our new 2026 teachers' resource packs are designed by a team of curriculum experts to deeply explore consumer and financial literacy across Years 4 to 10. These resources include a suite of tailored lesson plans for each year level, offering rich links to multiple learning areas and general capabilities within the current curriculum.
Each of our suggested lessons can stand alone to fit easily into your existing units of work. They are available to download individually or as a collated bundle.
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 4 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson plan 1: Using money—Money to buy goods and receiving change in real life contexts | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson plan 2: Class enterprise—Financial considerations including basic budgeting | Enterprise |
| Lesson plan 3: Responsible money managers—Being personally responsible with money; allocating money | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson plan 4: Creating a "Book of Riddles and Jokes"—Using humour to prompt financial awareness | Digital literacy |
| Lesson plan 5: Create a project related to a Year 4 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 4 full pack (collated) | All |
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 5 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson 1: Calculating costs—Billy cart | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson 2: Home money making project—A home enterprise | Enterprise |
| Lesson 3: Needs and wants—Picture goals | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson 4: A simple budget—Personal budget with pocket money | Digital literacy |
| Lesson 5: Create a project related to a Year 5 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 5 full pack (collated) | All |
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 6 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson plan 1: On sale—Percentages, discounts | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson plan 2: Charity fundraiser—Goals, expenditure, potential revenue, ethics | Enterprise |
| Lesson plan 3: Emotions and money management—Identify the impact of financial decisions on themselves and family | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson plan 4: Camp school—Using an iPad or similar device to create a shopping list of groceries to a budget | Digital literacy |
| Lesson plan 5: Create a project related to a Year 6 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 6 full pack (collated) | All |
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 7 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson plan 1: Simple interest—The mathematics of simple interest | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson plan 2: Reviewing a youth enterprise—A review of financial aspects | Enterprise |
| Lesson plan 3: Personal project—Prepare a presentation to pitch an initiative | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson plan 4: Buying smart—Using a spreadsheet to inform decisions | Digital literacy |
| Lesson plan 5: Create a project related to a Year 7 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 7 full pack (collated) | All |
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 8 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson plan 1: Phone mathematics—Choosing the best plan for you | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson plan 2: Drop shipping—Pluses and minuses | Enterprise |
| Lesson plan 3: Complaints—Creating and responding to a complaint regarding money | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson plan 4: My cost of living—Buy Smart in action | Digital literacy |
| Lesson plan 5: Create a project related to a Year 8 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 8 full pack (collated) | All |
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 9 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson plan 1: Best buy and unit pricing—Using maths to save money | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson plan 2: Scavenger hunt—Famous entrepreneurs | Enterprise |
| Lesson plan 3: Know your consumer rights—What are warranties? | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson plan 4: Youth-oriented scams—Buyer beware | Digital literacy |
| Lesson plan 5: Create a project related to a Year 9 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 9 full pack (collated) | All |
| Document name | Learning focus area |
|---|---|
| Overview: Buy Smart Year 10 teachers' guide | N/A |
| Lesson plan 1: Buy now, pay later—Pluses and minuses | Financial mathematics/numeracy |
| Lesson plan 2: Being an entrepreneur—Advantages and disadvantages | Enterprise |
| Lesson plan 3: Dealing with financial stress—Goal setting, perseverance and adaptability | Personal and social capability |
| Lesson plan 4: My financial vodcast—Create your own financial education vodcast (podcast) that could be used on social media | Digital literacy |
| Lesson plan 5: Create a project related to a Year 10 topic | Project-based activity |
| Year 10 full pack (collated) | All |
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Previous resources (Australian Curriculum 8.4)
- Primary school teacher kit for students in Years 4 to 6
- Secondary school teacher kit for students in Years 7 and up.
Further curriculum and learning
The Buy Smart Program aligns with the Australian Curriculum from Years 4 to 10 in multiple learning areas and a range of general capabilities. In particular, teachers can use it to support student learning in mathematics, English, humanities and social sciences, digital technologies and media arts.
The program can also support senior secondary teachers with delivering syllabus material across Years 11 and 12.
Buy Smart can also support your student wellbeing or pastoral care program. The content covered across Years 4 to 12 can help students develop life skills suited to their age and capability.
View our teaching guides and curriculum maps:
Also view the students' area for activities and resources—including brochures, exercises, puzzles and games—aimed at students in different year levels. These resources can be printed or used digitally to support online and remote learning.
Buy Smart videos
Access these playlists to support online learning and remote delivery:
Buy Smart Competition resources
Use these resources to submit your students' entries to the Buy Smart Competition:
More information
- Find out how to enter the Buy Smart Competition.
- Find out how to request a classroom presentation on Buy Smart topics.
- Subscribe to the Buy Smart newsletter for news about the Buy Smart program and competition.