Symbolic:

There are certain things to think about when starting a business. An entrepreneur must decide what will make their business successful. To do this they need to keep in mind what types of goods are in demand by consumers. These are the goods that they need to keep in stock to keep the consumer coming back. To help students brainstorm on their business they will read, Sluggars' Car Wash by Stuart Murphy. The purpose of reading the book is to understand what the characters have to go through to create and run a business. They will see how they kept track of their earnings.

Cognitive Processes:

A group discussion will be held after reading Sluggars' Car Wash. The teacher will ask probing questions to help direct students' thinking to begin to think as entrepreneurs. As they think as entrepreneurs they will be able to narrow down what they wish to sell.

Discourse:

Authentic Problem:

Students have decided that they wish to have an end-of-year party. They do not want to ask their parents for the resources to make their party a reality. Needless to say the students need to generate a profit one way or another to accomplish their goal. After much deliberation they decide to open a classroom store. All they need now is to learn the ropes of being successful entrepreneurs.

Solving Strategies.

Disciplinary Structures:

- Entrepreneur

- Manager          

- Sales Associate

- Cashier

- Consumer

- Vendor

- Seller

- Lender

- Borrower

- Banker

Disciplinary Processes:

- Adding/Subtracting of money and inventory

- Graphing of profits and losses

- Keep track of sales, profits, and inventory

- Money transactions

- Providing customer service

- Providing loans

Disciplinary Discourse:

Terminology -

-profit

-loss

-balance sheet

-interest rate

-loans

-cost of goods

-inventory

-vendor

-consumer

-bills

-coins

-merchandise

-deposits

-expenses

Students will the Internet to go on to:

1. Creating a Business

Money Instructor

www.moneyinstructor.com/art/childbusiness.asp

Hot Shot Business

http://disney.go.com/dxd/index.html?channel=108602#/disneygroup/hotshotbusiness/

Students will use the above websites to guide them on starting their own business. Hot Shot Business provides educational games as well as a guide to business.

2. Purchase items:

Oriental Trading Company

www.orientaltrading.com

Student will use this website to search the item that they want to purchase for their store. Students will search for the following items: pencils, erasers, notepads, pens, and any other item they think will be a good seller. They will gather data on the cost and how many come per unit. They will do this to compare and determine which item would be best to purchase based on count and price. Once they decide on the specific items they will create an inventory list.

3. Using Money:

Money

www.moneyinstructor.com/money.asp

Money Math

www.moneyinstructor.com/moneymath.asp

Money Vocabulary

www.moneyinstructor.com/vocabulary.asp  

Students in the classroom will work together as a whole to be able to create, help grow, and maintain their business.

Students will have an opportunity of getting an "inside" look on running a business through guest speakers (banker, community business owners, etc.). Guest speakers will talk to students throughout the year.

Bank

A banker will come in to talk to the students about what is needed to open an account. They will get information on savings/checking accounts. The banker will also discuss loans, deposits, and withdrawals.

Community Business Owner

A1: Community business owner will come talk to students

Students will...

A2: sell school supplies and other miscellaneous items.

A3: apply for a loan from teacher.

A4: decide on items to purchase using Oriental Trading Company (www.orientaltrading.com)

A5: come up with a business name.

A6: create advertisements.

A7: price items to make a profit.

A8: apply for their desired position.

A9: create an inventory list.

A10: keep track of sales.

A11: keep track of profit.

A12: become familiar with money.

B1: Read Sluggars' Car Wash by Stuart Murphy

Students will...

B2: survey school on what is in demand (to determine what to sell).

B3: Ask business owner how they went by applying for a loan.

B4: research where they can get the most for their money (inventory).

B5: learn how to come up with a name that is catchy and attracts potential buyers' attention.

B6: learn how to use Microsoft Software

   B6a: Publisher- advertisement, receipt template, business cards

   B6b: Excel- spreadsheets and graphs,

   B6c: PowerPoint- presentations

B7: learn how to price items to make a profit

B8: learn how to interview and hire the best candidate for a position

B9: access www.moneyinstructor.com to learn about money

Students will...

C1: create a PowerPoint presentation on findings

    C1a: What school items they will sell?

    C2b: Where they want to purchase items (based on best prices)?

    C2c: How much they want to sell the merchandise for?

    C2d: How they plan to pay back the loan?

C2: purchase items on www.orientaltrading.com

   (Note: Inventory will be replenished as needed

    throughout the year)

C3: post their ads around school.

C4: create their store sign.

C5: label items with pre-determined prices.

C6: process transactions

    C6a: fill out receipt

    C6b: give correct change

C7: keep track of

    C7a: inventory

    C7b: sales

    C7c: profit/losses

    C7d: positions held and reflections

C8: create graphs and spreadsheets

    C8a: business growth

    C8b: sales

    C8c: profits/losses

C9: create an on-going portfolio of...

    C9a: sales,

    C9b: inventory,

    C9c: purchases,

    C9d: positions,

    C9e: profits/losses, etc.

C10: create a final PowerPoint presentation to present to community business owner.

C11: present their final portfolio.

Students will...

S1: share their advertisement ideas.

S2: discuss why the items they chose to sell were school related.

S3: present spreadsheets and graphs created using MS Excel of...

    S3a: profits/losses,

         Once date is entered in the spreadsheet, students

         will be able to transfer information such as

         profits to create a chart that depicts a rise

         and/or drop in profit

    S3b: inventory,

         With data entered students will create a graph on items to determine

          which products sold the most/least/none at all.

    S3c: expenses, and

         After complete data is entered the students will

         create a bar graph to depict when it was that

         they had a the most expenses

    S3d: price increase on individual merchandise to be sold.

§110.5. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Listening/speaking/purposes. The student listens attentively and engages actively in various oral language experiences. The student is expected to:

(A) determine the purpose(s) for listening such as to get information, to solve problems, and to enjoy and appreciate (K-3);

(B) respond appropriately and courteously to directions and questions (K-3);

(C) participate in rhymes, songs, conversations, and discussions (K-3);

(D) listen critically to interpret and evaluate (K-3);

(E) listen responsively to stories and other texts read aloud, including selections from classic and contemporary works (K-3); and

(F) identify the musical elements of literary language, including its rhymes, repeated sounds, or instances of onomatopoeia (2-3).

3) Listening/speaking/audiences/oral grammar. The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions. The student is expected to:

(A) choose and adapt spoken language appropriate to the audience, purpose, and occasion, including use of appropriate volume and rate (K-3);

(B) use verbal and nonverbal communication in effective ways such as making announcements, giving directions, or making introductions (K-3);

(C) ask and answer relevant questions and make contributions in small or large group discussions (K-3);

(D) present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays (K-3); and

(E) gain increasing control of grammar when speaking such as using subject-verb agreement, complete sentences, and correct tense (K-3). 

(8) Reading/vocabulary development. The student develops an extensive vocabulary. The student is expected to:

(A) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing both familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud (K-3);

(B) develop vocabulary through reading (2-3);

(C) use resources and references such as beginners' dictionaries, glossaries, available technology, and context to build word meanings and to confirm pronunciations of words (2-3); and

(9) Reading/comprehension. The student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend selections read aloud and selections read independently. The student is expected to:

(A) use prior knowledge to anticipate meaning and make sense of texts (K-3);

(B) establish purposes for reading and listening such as to be informed, to follow directions, and to be entertained (K-3);

(C) retell or act out the order of important events in stories (K-3);

(D) monitor his/her own comprehension and act purposefully when comprehension breaks down using such strategies as rereading, searching for clues, and asking for help (1-3);

(F) make and explain inferences from texts such as determining important ideas, causes and effects, making predictions, and drawing conclusions (1-3); 

(H) produce summaries of text selections (2-3); 

(12) Reading/inquiry/research. The student generates questions and conducts research using information from various sources. The student is expected to:

(A) identify relevant questions for inquiry such as "What Native American tribes inhabit(ed) Texas?" (K-3);

(B) use alphabetical order to locate information (1-3);

(C) recognize and use parts of a book to locate information, including table of contents, chapter titles, guide words, and indices (1-3);

(D) use multiple sources, including print such as an encyclopedia, technology, and experts, to locate information that addresses questions (2-3);

(E) interpret and use graphic sources of information, including maps, charts, graphs, and diagrams (2-3);

(F) locate and use important areas of the library media center (2-3);

(G) organize information in systematic ways, including notes, charts, and labels (3);

(H) demonstrate learning through productions and displays such as oral and written reports, murals, and dramatizations (2- 3);

§111.15. Mathematics, Grade 3.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(3.1) Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student uses place value to communicate about increasingly large whole numbers in verbal and written form, including money. The student is expected to:

(C) Determine the value of a collection of coins and bills.

(3.3) Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student adds and subtracts to solve meaningful problems involving whole numbers. The student is expected to:

(A) model addition and subtraction using pictures, words, and numbers; and

(B) Select addition or subtraction and use the operation to solve problems involving whole numbers through 999.

(3.13) Probability and statistics. The student solves problems by collecting, organizing, displaying, and interpreting sets of data. The student is expected to:

(A) collect, organize, record, and display data in pictographs and bar

graphs where each picture or cell might represent more than one piece of data;

§113.5. Social Studies, Grade 3.

(b) Knowledge and skills

(6) Economics. The student understands the purposes of spending and saving money. The student is expected to:

(A) identify ways of earning, spending, and saving money; and

(B) Analyze a simple budget that allocates money for spending and saving.

(8) Economics. The student understands how businesses operate in the U.S. free enterprise system. The student is expected to:

(A) give examples of how a simple business operates;

(B) explain how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service;

(C) explain how the cost of production and selling price affect profits; and

§126.3. Technology Applications, Grades 3-5.

(b) Knowledge and skills

(1) Foundations. The student demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. The student is expected to:

(A) use technology terminology appropriate to the task;

(B) start and exit programs as well as create, name, and save files; and

(C) use networking terminology such as on-line, network, or password and access remote equipment on a network such as a printer.

(2) Foundations. The student uses data input skills appropriate to the task. The student is expected to:

(A) use a variety of input devices such as mouse, keyboard, disk drive, modem, voice/sound recorder, scanner, digital video, CD-ROM, or touch screen;

(B) use proper keyboarding techniques such as correct hand and body positions and smooth and rhythmic keystroke patterns as grade-level appropriate;

(C) demonstrate touch keyboarding techniques for operating the alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, and symbol keys as grade-level appropriate;

(D) produce documents at the keyboard, proofread, and correct errors; and

(E) use language skills including capitalization, punctuation,

spelling, word division, and use of numbers and symbols as grade-level appropriate.

(3) Foundations. The student complies with the laws and examines the issues regarding the use of technology in society. The student is expected to:

(A) follow acceptable use policies when using computers; and

(B) model respect of intellectual property by not illegally copying software or another individual's electronic work.

(7) Solving problems. The student uses appropriate computer-based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems. The student is expected to:

(A) use software programs with audio, video, and graphics to enhance learning experiences; and

(B) use appropriate software, including the use of word processing and multimedia, to express ideas and solve problems.

(8) Solving problems. The student uses research skills and electronic communication, with appropriate supervision, to create new knowledge. The student is expected to:

(A) use communication tools to participate in group projects; and

(B) use electronic tools and research skills to build a knowledge base regarding a topic, task, or assignment.

(9) Solving problems. The student uses technology applications to facilitate evaluation of work, both process and product. The student is expected to:

(A) use software features, such as on-line help, to evaluate work progress; and

(B) use software features, such as slide show previews, to evaluate final product.

(10) Communication. The student formats digital information for appropriate and effective communication. The student is expected to:

(A) use font attributes, color, white space, and graphics to ensure that products are appropriate for the defined audience; and

(B) use font attributes, color, white space, and graphics to ensure that products are appropriate for the communication media including multimedia screen displays and printed materials.

(11) Communication. The student delivers the product electronically in a variety of media, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to:

(A) publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, printed copy or monitor display; and

(B) publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, stored files or video.

(12) Communication. The student uses technology applications to facilitate evaluation of communication, both process and product. The student is expected to:

(A) select representative products to be collected and stored in an electronic evaluation tool; and

Books

1. Sluggars' Car Wash by Stuart Murphy

Hardware

1. Computers with...

   - MS Excel

   - MS PowerPoint

   - MS Publisher

   - Internet

2. printers

3. document readers

4. projectors

Office Supplies

1. paper

2. markers

3. pencils/pens

4. tape

5. ink

6. price tags

7. receipts (created by students)

Internet

1. Oriental Trading Company

   - www.orientaltrading.com

2. Money Instructor

   - www.moneyinstructor.com/art/childbusiness.asp

     - Money - www.moneyinstructor.com/money.asp

     - Money Math - www.moneyinstructor.com/moneymath.asp

     - Money Vocabulary - www.moneyinstructor.com/vocabulary.asp   

3. Hot Shot Business

Classroom:

Students will work together in running all aspects of their business. They will have to collaborate with one another to ensure that their classroom store will be successful.

Homework:

Project to take place from September 7, 2009 through May 14, 2010.

1st Six Weeks   August 24, 2009 - October 2, 2009

Student will learn the ropes of starting and running a business. Students will gather information on business, what they want to sell and where they are going to buy their merchandise. Students will obtain a loan from their teacher.

2nd Six Weeks   October 5, 2009 - November 12, 2009

Students will prepare to open their business. They need to create ads, order merchandise, determine pricing and label merchandise when it comes in, promote their business, create an inventory list.

3rd - 5th Six Weeks   November 16, 2009 - April 16, 2010

Sell, sell, and sell. As inventory diminishes student will need to reorder merchandise. Students will also need to repay their loan as the year goes by. Students will also need to begin making deposits and withdrawals as necessary. At this point they will see a profit.

6th Six Week    April 19, 2010 - May 28, 2010