A B C D
Lesson 18 Sustainability · Consumer Education · SDG 12

Which One Would You Buy?

Four kitchen towels look almost identical. Do they actually perform equally well? Become a one-person consumer-testing laboratory - run four fair tests, check sustainability claims, fact-check an AI answer, calculate a weighted score, and publish your own evidence-based recommendation.

🕐 ~47 min total
📋 11 activities
🧪 Home Lab or Virtual Lab
🏅 DigComp badge
✦ Start Activity 1 ↓ See all activities
The Mystery
"Four products look almost identical, but do they actually perform equally well?" This question drives the entire lesson.
5
Phases
11
Activities
~47m
Duration
4
Fair tests run
DigComp competences
1.1 - Browsing, searching & filtering 1.2 - Evaluating data & content 3.1 - Developing digital content Badge: Evidence-Based Consumer L1
Lesson overview
Working on your own, you become a one-person consumer-testing laboratory. You compare four almost identical kitchen-towel products, learn what makes a test fair, then run four comparative tests - absorbency, wet strength, value for money, and claims & evidence - choosing a Home Lab with real household materials or an interactive Virtual Lab simulation for each one.

Along the way you check sustainability claims on packaging (a green leaf drawing is not evidence - a named certification with a licence number is), ask the Wonder Learning AI what an eco-label means and fact-check one of its sentences against a trusted source. Your four rankings combine into one weighted Consumer Test Scorecard - Absorbency 30%, Wet strength 25%, Amount/value 20%, Sustainability & packaging evidence 25%.

The lesson closes with a genuine surprise: the brands and prices are revealed, a sustainability-weighting slider lets you test whether the winner changes, and you publish your own evidence-based consumer recommendation card before a short summative test and the Evidence-Based Consumer - Level 1 DigComp badge.
Frequently asked questions
Do the most expensive or most eco-looking products always perform best?
Not necessarily - this lesson's surprise is that the cheapest, priciest, thickest or most eco-looking product may not win once absorbency, strength and value are actually tested.
What makes a product test fair?
A fair test compares the same product category using the same method for every item, measures with numbers rather than guessing, and repeats the test to rule out accidents.
Does a green package with a leaf symbol prove a product is sustainable?
No - a leaf drawing or a phrase like "Nature Choice" is not evidence on its own. This lesson teaches students to look for named certifications with licence numbers and specific, checkable claims instead.
How does the lesson close?
Students calculate a weighted consumer score across four tests, build an evidence-based recommendation card, and complete a summative test to earn the Evidence-Based Consumer - Level 1 DigComp badge.
Your learning journey - 11 activities across 5 phases
🧻
Phase 1 · Anticipation
They look the same. Are they?
1 activity
🧻
Activity 1 · Phase 1
They Look the Same. Are They?
A silent macro zoom into fibres, four sheets A-D, a prediction poll, and your first "best at what?" criteria list.
⏱ 5 min👁️ Visual + Poll
▶ Start here
⚖️
Phase 2 · Encounter
How do you make a test fair?
2 activities
⚖️
Activity 2 · Phase 2
How Do You Make a Test Fair?
A split-screen pouring clip, a quick vote, then four Fair Test Rules with tappable key terms.
⏱ 4 min🎞️ Slides
🔒 Locked
🧩
Activity 3 · Phase 2
Fair or Unfair?
Sort six test descriptions into Fair or Unfair with instant feedback, then two quick rule questions.
⏱ 3 min🧩 Formative check
🔒 Locked
🔬
Phase 3 · Investigation
The great kitchen-towel test
5 activities
💧
Activity 4 · Phase 3
Test 1: Absorbency
Home Lab or Virtual Lab - dip, drip, measure the water left, then rank all four products.
⏱ 4 min🧪 Lab
🔒 Locked
🪙
Activity 5 · Phase 3
Test 2: Wet Strength
Add coins or washers one at a time until the wet sheet tears - count, then rank.
⏱ 4 min🧪 Lab
🔒 Locked
📏
Activity 6 · Phase 3
Test 3: How Much Do You Get?
Calculate area per sheet and total value - is the biggest-looking roll really the best value?
⏱ 4 min🧪 Lab
🔒 Locked
🏷️
Activity 7 · Phase 3
Test 4: Claims & Evidence
Check packaging claims for each product, then ask the Wonder Learning AI about eco-labels and fact-check its answer.
⏱ 6 min🧪 Lab + AI
🔒 Locked
🧮
Activity 8 · Phase 3
The Consumer Test Scorecard
Your four rankings combine into one weighted scorecard. Check the maths for one product yourself.
⏱ 3 min🧮 Calculator
🔒 Locked
🏆
Phase 4 · Discovery
And the winner is…
1 activity
🏆
Activity 9 · Phase 4
And the Winner Is…
Compare your prediction with your test winner, reveal real brands and prices, then slide sustainability to 50%.
⏱ 5 min🪞 Reflection
🔒 Locked
📣
Phase 5 · Propagation
Publish your consumer recommendation
2 activities
📋
Activity 10 · Phase 5
My Consumer Recommendation
Build and download your Consumer Test Result card, then review it with the Wonder Feedback Protocol.
⏱ 4 min📋 Creation
🔒 Locked
🏅
Activity 11 · Phase 5
Summative Test & DigComp Badge
A six-item self-assessment, a five-question test, your completion card and the DigComp badge.
⏱ 5 min🏅 Test
🔒 Locked

Ready to run your own consumer test?

Start Activity 1 and work through the journey at your own pace - it can even be split across two sessions. Each activity unlocks the next.

🏅 Complete all 11 activities to earn the Evidence-Based Consumer - Level 1 DigComp badge

🧪 Start the journey