Creating Business Ideas

Lesson Overview

In this 110-minute lesson, Year 1 students will engage in hands-on group activities to brainstorm and develop their own simple business ideas by creating a product concept, deciding on a business name, and listing required materials. This is lesson 3 of 5 in the "Young Entrepreneurs: Business Basics" unit designed to foster entrepreneurial thinking aligned with the NSW Curriculum for Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2).

Learning Intentions (WALT)

WALT brainstorm and share ideas for simple products that meet people's needs or wants.
WALT collaborate in small groups to design a product and create a business name.
WALT identify materials needed to make their product.

NSW Curriculum Links

Content Descriptions (Stage 1 – Year 1, Humanities and Social Sciences: Economics and Business)

EN1-1: Communicates about familiar economic and business contexts and the role of people in the economy.
EN1-3: Recognises that people make choices to meet needs and wants and that money is one way to purchase goods and services.
EN1-5: Works collaboratively in a group to share ideas and create products or services for a purpose.

General Capabilities

Critical and Creative Thinking: Generate ideas, make decisions and solve problems in familiar contexts.
Personal and Social Capability: Work collaboratively and communicate ideas effectively.

Success Criteria

I can share ideas for a product that people might want to buy.
I can work with my group to choose a product idea and give our business a name.
I can list the materials we will need to make our product.
I can listen to others and share my own ideas.

Resources Needed

Large sheets of paper or poster boards
Colourful markers, crayons, pencils
Pre-cut pictures of simple products and materials (for visual prompts)
Name tags for groups
"Idea Brainstorm" worksheet templates (simple with images and blank spaces)
Whiteboard or chart paper for teacher modelling

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation/Support
0–10 min	Introduction & Recap	Recap previous lessons on business basics and discuss what a business is. Use children’s examples of products they know. Model brainstorming on whiteboard: “What kind of things do people buy? What could we make and sell?”	Use visual aids and realia (toys, food packets) for EAL/D and younger learners; sentence starters on chart
10–25 min	WALT Brainstorm Session (Whole Class)	In a group discussion, students suggest ideas for a product with a focus on things they can make or sell. Teacher charts ideas. Discuss simple needs/wants concept in child-friendly language. Use slime or bead products as examples to guide ideas.	Provide picture cards for ideas; allow oral responses for students with emerging literacy
25–40 min	Small Group Brainstorming and Idea Selection	Divide students into 3 groups (3-4 per group). Each group discusses their ideas and selects one product to develop, with a focus on slime or bead products as suggested examples. Groups create a simple business name related to their chosen product. Teacher circulates to support and scaffold idea development.	Use graphic organisers with pictorial prompts showing “Product,” “Name,” and “Materials” columns
40–55 min	Listing Materials Needed	Each group lists (draws or writes) materials needed to make their product on a shared poster or worksheet (e.g., paper, glue, cardboard). Teacher supports spelling and vocabulary as needed.	Allow drawing for students who are not writing yet; provide vocabulary word bank for spelling support
55–65 min	Break - Movement and Refresh	Short break to ensure focus and energy maintained	-
65–85 min	Creating a Visual Business Board	Groups create a simple poster showing their product idea, business name, and materials list. Encourage creativity with drawing, colouring, and labelling.	Offer additional support for fine motor tasks; extend by prompting students who finish early to add slogans or prices
85–100 min	Group Presentation and Sharing	Each group presents their business idea to the class, explaining their product, name, and materials. Teacher and peers provide positive feedback.	Use sentence frames for presentations such as “Our business is called ___,” “Our product is ___,” “We need ___ to make it.”
100–110 min	Reflection and Teacher Summary	Discuss what they learned about creating a business idea. Highlight teamwork and creativity. Review success criteria together.	Use thumbs up/down or emoji faces for quick reflection on what was easy/challenging

Differentiation Strategies for Diverse Learners

For students requiring additional support:
- Use visual aids, sentence starters, and word banks.
- Allow idea sharing verbally instead of writing.
- Provide one-on-one or small group scaffolding during brainstorming.
For students requiring extension:
- Encourage describing the target customers for their product.
- Introduce simple money concepts: suggest pricing their products.
- Challenge them to add a slogan or come up with a simple marketing idea.
For EAL/D learners:
- Simplify instructions and use modelling.
- Partner with a buddy who supports language use.
- Use visuals and real-world objects to connect vocabulary with meaning.

Assessment

Formative

Observation of active participation during group brainstorming and presentations.
Use of communication and collaboration skills noted during group work.
Teacher checklist for evidence of:
- Contribution of product ideas.
- Ability to name and list materials.
- Ability to work cooperatively.

Summative (End of Unit)

Student business idea posters collected as evidence.
Simple oral retelling of their business idea and materials needed.

Teacher Tips and WOW Ideas

Kick off with a brief animated story or video clip (if tech available) about a kidpreneur to spark interest.
Use physical "business hats" or badges for students to wear when presenting to encourage role-play.
Incorporate a collaborative "business wall" in the classroom where each group pins their poster for ongoing unit integration.
Use natural recycled materials to inspire sustainable business ideas.
Introduce a "Customer" role for the teacher or peers to ask friendly questions about the business ideas, fostering real-world interaction.

Video Resources for Lesson

Kid Entrepreneurs: How Kids Start Their Own Businesses
This video introduces young learners to real kid entrepreneurs, inspiring them with simple examples of how children can create and run their own small businesses.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example1
Brainstorming Business Ideas for Kids
A fun and engaging video that models brainstorming techniques suitable for young students, helping them generate creative product ideas.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example2
Materials and Making Products - Simple Guide for Kids
This video explains how to identify and gather materials needed to make products, reinforcing the lesson’s focus on planning and preparation.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example3

This lesson plan harnesses collaborative learning and creativity to introduce foundational business concepts appropriate for young learners, linked explicitly to the NSW curriculum content and general capabilities to develop essential skills in thinking, communication, and teamwork.

Teaching Instructions