Business Growth Characteristics

Year Level

Year 12 (Queensland Curriculum aligned)

Duration

40 minutes

Class Size

6 students

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify and describe key characteristics of businesses in the post-maturity stage of the business life cycle according to Queensland Curriculum standards.
2. Analyse and differentiate among internal and external factors influencing businesses in this stage.
3. Compare and contrast two or more businesses through a Venn diagram to visualise similarities and differences.
4. Communicate business characteristics and contextual factors using clear, structured templates.

Queensland Curriculum references:

• Aligns with Economics and Business subject content descriptors for senior secondary business (general capabilities in critical thinking, literacy, and analysis) particularly focusing on understanding business life cycle stages and contextual factors impacting business performance and decision-making.

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Success Criteria

Students will be successful if they can:

• Accurately define and provide examples of businesses at post-maturity stage.
• Clearly identify and explain internal and external factors with relevant examples.
• Create an informative Venn diagram comparing at least two businesses.
• Present findings using a structured template with clear, concise language.
• Demonstrate understanding by responding to questions and reflecting on learning points.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard/chart paper and markers
• Printed structured templates (dyslexia-friendly fonts and spacing)
• Venn diagram templates (digital or paper versions)
• Sample business case studies (post-maturity stage examples, simplified text)
• Dyslexia-friendly reading material summary sheets (using larger font, clear spacing, bullet points)
• Timer for task management

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Lesson Flow

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Briefly introduce the business life cycle, emphasising the post-maturity stage.
• Use a visual presentation (diagram of the business lifecycle) with clear labelling.
• Highlight key characteristics of post-maturity stage businesses such as market saturation, slowing growth, need for innovation or renewal, diversification, or decline risks.
• Use simplified, bullet-pointed notes on a handout.

Teacher Tip: Use clear, slow speech and display keywords to support learners with ADHD or dyslexia.

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2. Collaborative Analysis Activity (10 minutes)

• Divide students into pairs (three pairs total).
• Each pair receives a case study of a business in the post-maturity stage (realistic but accessible language).
• Task: Identify internal factors (e.g., management style, resources, employee engagement) and external factors (e.g., market competition, technology changes, economic conditions).
• Complete a two-column table on their structured template to separate internal and external factors.

Differentiation: Provide extra scaffolded prompts/questions for learners needing support; challenge advanced learners to think of strategies the business might adopt to stay competitive.

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3. Venn Diagram Comparison (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a class activity comparing two businesses (either from the case studies or teacher-selected examples).
• Use a large poster or digital whiteboard.
• Students co-construct a Venn diagram, identifying similarities and differences in characteristics and influencing factors.
• Encourage use of business terminology learned.

Extension for advanced learners: Challenge them to hypothesize reasons behind the differences and suggest implications on business strategy.

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4. Communication via Structured Templates (10 minutes)

• Students individually summarise what they learnt using a structured communication template that guides them to describe:

  • Business characteristics
  • Internal factors
  • External factors
  • Comparison insights from Venn diagram

• Template designed with dyslexia-friendly fonts, spacing, and clear prompts.

• Allow verbal or written presentation depending on student preference.

Support strategies: Students can use keywords from the template sections as sentence starters.

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5. Reflection and Q&A (5 minutes)

• Engage students in a short discussion/reflection using guiding questions, e.g.,

  • What surprised you about post-maturity businesses?
  • How do internal and external factors affect a business’s future?
  • What are some strategies a business could use at this stage?

• Clarify any misunderstandings and praise contributions.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For ADHD learners: Chunk tasks, use timers, allow brief movement breaks between activities.
• For Dyslexic learners: Provide dyslexia-friendly reading materials, templates with clear structure, font, and colour coding.
• For advanced learners: Extension question prompts for deeper analysis and strategic thinking.
• Use multimodal delivery: Visuals, verbal explanation, written templates to engage diverse learners.

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Assessment

Formative assessment through:

• Observing pair discussion and table completion.
• Reviewing Venn diagram participation.
• Evaluating individual completed communication templates against success criteria.

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This lesson plan integrates Queensland Curriculum priorities by explicitly analysing factors influencing businesses and communicating findings clearly, supporting development of critical economic and business literacy relevant for Year 12 students preparing for further study or work. The tasks allow interactive engagement, scaffolding for diverse learning needs, and extension opportunities to challenge higher achievers.

This approach ensures a balanced mix of direct instruction, collaboration, visual organisation, and personalised communication, designed to be accessible and engaging for a small class with diverse learning profiles including ADHD and dyslexia.