Enter Buy My Duck

10 SIMPLE STEPS TO ENTER THE 2010 BUY MY DUCK CHALLENGE

STEP 01: Decide if Buy My Duck is right for your students
STEP 02: Register so we can send you a pack which includes brochures and bookmarks
STEP 03: Use the Buy My Duck lessons and activities
STEP 04: Start a Buy My Duck project
STEP 05: Gather information on the focus topic warranties and refunds
STEP 06: Consider the judging criteria
STEP 07: Decide on format
STEP 08: Decide on message
STEP 09: Complete entry forms
STEP 10: Submit your students' entries

STEP 01: Decide if BMD is right for your students

Decide if the Buy My Duck program, lesson plans, activities and challenge are appropriate for your group/s by checking out the BMD website with particular focus on the For Teachers page.

We have made the materials easy to use and have tailored them for different years but we understand the material may not be appropriate for all groups.

STEP 02: Register so we can send you a brochure pack with a poster and pens

We will send some reference material for your classroom as well as bookmarks that you can give to your students.

STEP 03: Use the Buy My Duck lessons and activities

Use the stories and lesson plans to introduce discussions on consumer rights and responsibilities to the classroom.

Use the themes from the lesson plans to ask your students to create a guide, in any format: a poster, brochure or a multimedia presentation, which will help other young consumers avoid pitfalls when shopping and become more informed consumers.

STEP 04: Start a Buy My Duck project to create a "Survival guide" for shopping

Students can work individually or in a group with a maximum of four students per group to create a "Survival guide" to shopping for young people.

The guide should:

focus on this year's theme "warranties and refunds";
be fun and creative; and
include the Buy My Duck icon and the Department of Commerce, Consumer Protection's name and phone number 1300 30 40 54.

View the sample assessment task sheet.

STEP 05: Gather information on the focus topic warranties and refunds

To do this your students may wish to:

discuss issues with you and their classmates;
check out the previous entries page on this website;
refer to various Consumer Protection publications at the Department of Commerce website;
visit relevant outlets to gather information, such as shops, local libraries or community centres; or
participate in classroom activities.

STEP 06: Consider the judging criteria

The judges will be assessing each entry on how the work:

communicates the consumer message to a young audience creatively;
promotes how a young person can avoid consumer pitfalls;
explains why the issue is important to young people; and
delivers the intended message in a succinct, creative and original format.

STEP 07: Decide on format

Buy My Duck will receive entries in the following formats:

poster (A3 is the maximum size);
brochure (A4 is the maximum size);
PowerPoint presentation;
film;
multimedia presentation;
postcard;
radio/film script; or
short advertisement.

Multimedia entries

Please note multimedia/electronic entries need to be submitted via YouTube. Please name your entries Buy My Duck 10 - then add your school name and submission name e.g. "Buy My Duck 10 ABC Senior School Don't Get Ripped Off". For more information about uploading to YouTube please refer to the YouTube help pages.

STEP 08: Decide on message

It is critical for students to think about what message they want to deliver and why it is important.

For example, students may want to include information on warranties and refunds such as:

explaining how we all have rights as shoppers to expect what we buy to match the description given, to be in good repair and be able to be used for the purpose for which it's sold. If an item is faulty, not as described, or unsuitable for the purpose, customers are legally entitled to a remedy - which could be a repair, replacement or money back.
how "No refund" signs are illegal. The same is true for policies that specify a time limit.
any problems with a purchase must be dealt with by the seller. Some shops might try to fob off young customers by telling them to speak to the manufacturer, however it's the seller, not the manufacturer, who's responsible for fixing the problem or providing an exchange or a refund.

Young people have the same rights as any other consumer - young or older it's important for us all to be Smart Shoppers.

STEP 09: Complete entry forms

Download and fill in the Buy My Duck Entry Form.

Students should complete the Buy My Duck entry form. They should:

ensure their names are printed clearly; and
that all pieces of their entry are marked clearly with their name.

STEP 10: Submit entries

Submit entries with complete entry forms.

All entries (with an entry form attached) should be sent to:

Buy My Duck
Department of Commerce
Consumer Protection
Locked Bag 14, Cloisters Square
PERTH WA 6850

Entries must be received by Friday 2 July 2010.