Business Categories Activity

Learning intention

Students will understand different types of business categories — service, retail, manufacturing, and more — and appreciate how local businesses contribute to the community and economy.

Success criteria

• Identify and categorise businesses into correct types.
• Provide local examples corresponding to each business category.
• Explain how these businesses contribute to the local economy.

Victorian Curriculum Alignment

Economics and Business – Year 8

• Interpret information to identify economic and business issues and trends.
• Describe how businesses respond to market opportunities.
• Create explanations using economic and business terms with reference to data sources.

These content descriptions target skills in recognising business types and their roles within local and broader economies, supporting the lesson’s objectives.

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Lesson Duration: 20 minutes

Class Size: 25 students Year Level: 8

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Resources

• Printed worksheet (provided below)
• Whiteboard/Smartboard
• Markers
• Sticky notes or small cards for sorting activity
• Local business directory or pre-prepared list of local businesses

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Lesson Outline

Do Now (3 minutes)

• Prompt the class: "Think of a business you know in your local community. What kind of business is it? What does it do?"
• Students share 1-2 examples quickly with a neighbour.

Introduction (3 minutes)

• Briefly explain main business categories:
• Service Businesses (e.g., hairdressers, cafés) provide intangible services.
• Retail Businesses sell goods directly to customers (e.g., supermarkets, clothing stores).
• Manufacturing Businesses make products from raw materials (e.g., factories).
• Others such as wholesale, agriculture, or online businesses, depending on your local context.
• Explain the focus: sorting businesses and connecting them to local examples to understand their role in the economy.

Task: Worksheet & Sorting Activity (10 minutes)

• Distribute the worksheet listing categories with empty columns for examples.
• Provide sticky notes or cards with names of local businesses (or allow students to write down businesses they know).
• Students work individually or in pairs to:

1. Sort business names into their correct categories in the worksheet.
2. Write a short note on how the business contributes to the local community/economy (e.g., jobs, services, products).

• Circulate to assist and prompt deeper thinking where needed.

Review and Class Discussion (4 minutes)

• Select some students/pairs to share an example from their worksheet.
• Facilitate discussion on why certain businesses fit categories and how they support the local economy.
• Highlight the diversity and interdependence of local businesses.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For diverse learners and those with learning difficulties:

• Provide a dyslexia-friendly version of the worksheet using a sans-serif font, larger spacing, and clearly defined sections.

• Include pictorial icons next to business categories (e.g., scissors for service, shopping bag for retail).

• Offer pre-sorted example sets for students needing extra scaffolding.

• For advanced learners:

• Extension task: Research an additional local business not on the sheet and classify it.

• Write an explanation on how the business markets to customers or adapts to changes in the economy.

• Explore how technology impacts business models (e.g., online retailing).

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Worksheet (for printing and in-class use)

Business Category	Examples of Local Businesses	Contribution to Local Economy
Service	(Students fill in: e.g., local hairdresser, café)	(Jobs created, services provided, community support etc.)
Retail	(Students fill in: e.g., supermarket, clothing shop)	(Convenience for community, local supply chains, consumer choice)
Manufacturing	(Students fill in: e.g., nearby factory or workshop)	(Production, exports, skills development)
Other (Optional)	(Students fill in if relevant: e.g., farm, wholesale)	(Specialised contribution e.g., food supplies, economic linkages)

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Final Reflection

• Ask students to write one sentence on why understanding local business categories helps them appreciate their community.

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This lesson follows the Victorian Curriculum Economics and Business framework for Year 8, targeting content descriptions AC9HE8S03, AC9HE8K02, and AC9HE8S05. The worksheet and sorting activity engage students actively and culturally, linking theory to their lived experience, thus deepening economic literacy and community awareness.

The staged activities reflect the STAR framework — starting with a ‘Do Now’ for activation, followed by task and guided activity, ending with a review. Differentiation and dyslexia-friendly options support diverse learners. Extension tasks enrich learning for advanced students. This clear, interactive structure meets pedagogical best practices and Victorian curriculum standards.