When regulations get out of hand…..
Productivity is a critical indicator of our one working person’s ability to produce output. How do government rules and regulations impact a person’s productivity? This clip gives an insight into it and can be a launch pad to discussing how regulations are impacting Australia’s economic performance.
ACARA Alignment: ACHEK050
Clip Length: 1:44 minutes
Year: 2026
URL: https://youtube.com/shorts/cl5m9a2o0i8?si=abblbkKCDxMkGqa7
Economics Concepts: Productivity, government decision making
- Ask students to put their hand up if they’ve ever changed a light bulb. Ask students who have if they found it difficult.
- Next show students the video clip
- Then divide the class into 2 teams (Team A and Team B). Give each team 15 cups (disposable or reusable). In their team students need to stack the cups up, with the highest standing stack winning a small prize (bag of wrapped lollies).
- Team A must also:
- designate one student to be a ‘supervisor’
- every student touching the cups must wear disposable gloves
- before each cup is touched the student must ask the ‘supervisor’ for permission
- After each cup is touched students must wait 10 seconds for safety ‘checks’
- Team B has no restrictions
- After completing the task, ask students:
- How did regulation impact their ability to complete the task quickly?
- Were any of the regulations helpful?
- What do you think is happening to national productivity if countries operate like Team A or the Defence Force did?
- Finally download and share with students the worksheet to reinforce their learning (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V7zFDf2t7rKH6HCBgvQWMfOCsugnM5KC/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=105966016107868910410&rtpof=true&sd=true