1. Suggested introduction tasks and questions:

• Homework task: Ask 4 people about their favourite type of apple and the qualities they most like (ie. crispy, colour). Then, make a list of 10 apple qualities. Answers may include: taste (sweet, tart, sour), texture (juicy, crisp, floury, hard), skin (colour, tough, shiny), size and shape, flesh colour, smell, do they brown quickly when exposed to air? How are they best eaten: fresh or cooked?
• Make a class list of apple qualities. Do any of the words mean the same thing? eg. crispy/crunchy.
• If you were an orchardist, would this information be important to you? What other factors may you consider when planting new fruit trees? eg. pest resistance, water requirement, climate suitability.

2. As a class, develop a table to compare apple varieties based on 5 characteristics from the apple quality list above (refer to Worksheet:The Economics of Apples).

3. Students fill in the table as they taste a variety of commercially available apples. Determine a standard rating system (stars, ticks, score out of 5) for the class to use. If applicable, at each tasting station leave one whole apple (to observe size and shape) and one slice of apple to determine if the apple discolours quickly.

4. When finished tasting, ask students to rank the apples from favourite (5 points) to least favourite (1 point).

5. Next, tell students the price of each apple. Does this affect their preference? Fill in the revised preference row. Tally the results to determine class preferences.

Looking at market trends In groups of 3 or 4, students use their worksheets to look for trends in the data. What qualities did the preferred apples have? Write statements based on the data, for example, “Our data suggests our group prefers crispy apples” or, “Our data suggests females in our group will pay more for apples if they are sweet and crispy.” Discuss as a class. Were there differences between groups? Are there any class trends? How do marketers determine market trends? (They ask a wide selection of people questions to determine their likes and dislikes). How do they get their information? (Telephone, mail and internet surveys.)

Allocate groups of 2-3 students with a type of apple. Give groups the role of product managers or orchardists.

Product Managers: How could you market this apple to consumers? Use information from Part B to brainstorm three ideas, then choose one idea to develop further and present to the class. Students might choose to market their apple on websites, sponsor cooking shows or limit the supply of the apple to increase the demand (and price!).

Orchardists: This is the main apple grown at your orchard. How can you use the market trends to increase the profitability of your land? Use information from Part A and B to brainstorm three ideas, then choose one to develop further and present to the class. Students might decide to plant more popular apple varieties or vary their packaging to include a serving suggestion. Encourage creativity in developing a plan, based on research into market trends.

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