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Price Check: What is the True Cost

Packaging Lesson #2: What is the purpose of packaging?

Essential Question:

What is the purpose of packaging?

Introduction:

Students are led through a guided discussion to brainstorm the purpose and function of packaging. From their list the class develops four general categories that explain the purpose and function of packaging.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will analyze packaging to learn the four main purposes of packaging.

Classroom Time Required:

1 class period (45-60 minutes)

Materials Needed:

  • Handouts: none
  • Students need notebook paper
  • Optional: A few examples of packaging. Suggestions - can (soup or soda), bag (chips or sugar), packaging that assists with cooking (steamer bag, microwavable soup, hot pocket)


Technology Required:

None

Pre-activities:

  • Packaging, Lesson 1-Scavenger Hunt
  • (Incorporate examples from Lesson 1 - Scavenger Hunt into the discussion during this lesson.)

Teacher Background:

***Important do not share this information with students prior to the lesson. ***

Industry states that there are four main purposes and benefits of packaging:

Protection, Convenience, Image, and Sustainability.

The ideal package will incorporate as many of these benefits as possible, and if possible have all four represented.

Purposes of Packaging Overview -

Protection - for the product: transportation without spoiling and/or breaking
 for the consumer: reduces worry and increases safety

Convenience - ease of use and decision making, simplifies life

Image - shelf-appeal, brand awareness, and product/company/consumer values

Sustainability - reduction of environmental impact, consumers can make a difference

Lesson: 


  1. Have students take a piece of notebook paper and fold it in 1/4ths. Label the paper “The Purpose of Packaging”.

  2. Without telling students please be aware that each of the 1/4ths will represent one of the four main purposes of packaging: Protection, Convenience, Image, and Sustainability. It will be important for the teacher not to mix up the columns designation throughout the lesson. 

  3. Introduce today’s topic: Purpose of Packaging.

    Packaging design and engineering is a career. Designers have to think about many purposes of packaging. What are they? 

  4. Open a discussion with students to brainstorm the purposes of packaging. 

  5. As students share ideas write their idea under the designated column (still without a heading) on the board.

For example, if a student said a purpose of packaging was to protect the contents from breaking then you would write that idea in the unlabeled “protection” column. 

  6. Continue the discussion and write student suggestions in the unlabeled column that best fits. 

  7. You may need to pull out some ideas from students to keep the discussion going. Refer back to specific examples for their prior Packaging Scavenger Hunt (Lesson 2) activity and/or any sample packaging that you or students may have brought in. 

  8. Lists may be different in every class. Below are some of the purposes that seventh grade students have suggested:
           
    Holds pre-measured amounts Easier to store stuff To look good on the shelf If you can recycle it
    To ship without breaking the item Easier to stack on a shelf To persuade you to buy it If it is made of recycled “stuff”
    Keeps food fresh To cook in Informs you Reusable
    Keeps food from spoiling To re-seal and use for later Lists of ingredients Reduce trash / waste from
    Keeps item from leaking Make it easy to carry To advertise a brand
    Keeps gross stuff out Not frustrating to open (Yuck - clamshells) To give instructions on how to use
    To keep drinks carbonated Keeps smaller items together To learn about company or product
    Health warnings To keep track of a product (bar code) Health warnings
    To help keep product at a certain temperature To help keep product at a certain temperature Nutritional facts
    To keep products from being stolen See or touch the actual item before you buy it Pictures of the product in use
    To keep all pieces of the product in place Characters or Mascots
  9. It is okay to list some of the purposes in more than one column if they apply. 

  10. Tell students that there are four main purposes of packaging. As students were sharing ideas you were already grouping them into the different main purposes. Each column represents one of these main purposes of packaging. In groups have students brainstorm possible headings for each column. After about 5 minutes have groups share their names with the class.
    

 For example, for the convenience column students came up with “easy”, “simplify”, “convenient”, etc.
  11. Reveal the actual term used by industry. Have students write each term at the top of their paper. 

  12. Share the following summary for each purpose. See if students thought of all the ideas mentioned below:

    • Protection - for the product: transportation without spoiling and/or breaking
 for the consumer: reduces worry and increases safety
    • Convenience - ease of use and decision making, simplifies life
    • Image - shelf-appeal, brand awareness, and product/company/consumer values
    • Sustainability - reduction of environmental impact, consumers can make a difference

  13. Have students write down the following definitions:

    • Primary Packaging: packaging that touches the product


    • Secondary Packaging: packaging that does not touch the product itself


    • Tertiary Packaging: packaging that holds together a groups of items


    • For example: Water bottles. The bottle = primary packaging, the label = secondary packaging, the plastic shrink-wrap and cardboard base that holds together large quantities of water bottles = tertiary packaging 



    As you continue your packaging study, encourage students to use these terms. 




Assessment:

Continuously monitor the room and ask probing questions to informally asses student understanding of the activity and the consumer mindsets.

Ask students to write one paragraph explaining the purpose of packaging. Students could submit this as a “ticket out the door” or write it for homework.

Modifications:

Copy of notes.

Vocabulary:

Primary packaging

Secondary packaging

Tertiary packaging