Lesson Plan - 5 Big Questions About Online Shopping

Watch a Video: The Cost of Free Returns
Discuss: According to the video, what are some of the negative consequences of free returns?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• refund
• retailer

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify ways online shopping differs from traditional shopping in stores. 

1. In the answer to question 1, why does the author put the word trillion in italics?
The author puts trillion in italics to call attention to it and emphasize how much is being spent online.
^{R.8 Author’s Purpose}

2. What details do you notice in the cartoon? What message do you think the cartoonist is sending?
The cartoon shows a worker delivering a huge truckload of packages, then loading the same number of packages back onto the truck as returns. The message is that online returns are rising as online shopping rises.
^{R.7 Using Visuals}

3. Why do online retailers often decide to throw away returned products?
Online retailers often throw away returned products because it costs too much to sort the returns and figure out what can be resold.
^{R.2 Key Details}

FEATURED SKILL: Nonfiction Reading Strategy
Use the skill builder “Nonfiction Know-How” to have students apply a before-reading and after-reading strategy as they explore the article. 
^{R.10 Reading Informational Texts}