Entrepreneurial Spark

Lesson Overview

Subject: Business (Economics & Business within HASS)
Year Level: Year 1 (with differentiation notes for Years 2 and 3)
Duration: 110 minutes
Class Size: 10 students
Unit: Young Entrepreneurs: Business Basics
Lesson 1 Title: What is Entrepreneurship?
Context: This is the first lesson in a 5-lesson thematic cycle designed for a small group setting focusing on thematic learning and hands-on activities aligned with the NSW Curriculum (New South Wales).

Learning Intentions (WALT)

WALT: Understand the concept of entrepreneurship and recognise qualities of successful entrepreneurs.
Recognise and describe what entrepreneurs do.
Recognise examples of entrepreneurs in their community.
Develop creativity and teamwork skills through role-play and games.

NSW Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) — Economics and Business strand
Year 1 Outcomes:
- Students identify the role of people in the community including entrepreneurs who provide goods and services (linked to HASS Year 1 achievement standard: Students identify roles and everyday activities of people in the community)
- Develop questions and collect, sort and record information from observations and sources
- Recognise products and services and their purpose
Entrepreneurship Focus: While specific “entrepreneurship” terms occur more explicitly in higher years (e.g. Year 7), the Year 1 curriculum supports foundational understanding of community roles and awareness of products, services, and people who create them

Success Criteria

Students will be successful if they can:

Define entrepreneurship in simple terms (e.g., someone who makes or sells things to help others).
Participate actively and creatively in the 'Product Charades' game.
Identify qualities of entrepreneurs such as creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Give examples of entrepreneurial roles they know from the community.
Work respectfully in groups and share ideas.

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Resources	Differentiation
10 min	Introduction & Warm-Up Discussion	Teacher introduces the word "Entrepreneur" and relates it to products and services familiar to students; brief discussion on what entrepreneurs do.	Picture cards of local shops, markets, or community helpers	Use simple, clear language; visual aids for EAL/ESL or low literacy students. Provide extra examples for extended learners.
15 min	Product Charades Game	Students take turns acting out a product (e.g., ice-cream, bicycle, book) without speaking. Others guess the product.	Product cue cards	Scaffold with picture clues for younger or struggling students; challenge more advanced students to describe the product's use or who might buy it.
15 min	Group Discussion: Qualities of Entrepreneurs	Following the game, discuss what skills or qualities entrepreneurs might need such as creativity, working hard, helping others, problem-solving. Write ideas on a large chart or board.	Chart paper and markers	For younger students, use emojis or pictures to indicate qualities; for advanced learners, discuss famous local entrepreneurs briefly.
20 min	Story Time: Local Entrepreneur Example	Read or tell a simple story about a local entrepreneur or small business owner (e.g., a baker, a market stall owner).	Picture book or story script	Provide gestures and visuals to support comprehension; for advanced learners, ask questions about why the entrepreneur was successful or what problems they solved.
25 min	Design Your Own Product (Hands-on Activity)	Students draw or craft a simple product they would like to create or sell. Discuss what makes their product helpful or fun, encouraging creativity and entrepreneurial thinking. Use craft supplies.	Paper, crayons, scissors, glue, recycled materials	Support fine motor skills by providing templates; extend advanced learners by encouraging a simple business name or slogan.
10 min	Sharing and Reflection	Students share their product ideas and talk about what qualities they think an entrepreneur needs to make their idea successful.	Sharing circle	Provide sentence starters for struggling students (e.g., "My product is..."), prompt advanced learners to explain more detail or how they would sell their product.
15 min	Wrap-Up and Success Criteria Review	Teacher revisits learning points and success criteria, reinforcing key vocabulary and ideas about entrepreneurship.	Chart with success criteria	Recap with visuals and oral discussion for all students.

Differentiation Strategies

For diverse learners:
- Use visual supports (pictures, symbols)
- Simplify language and instructions
- Provide one-on-one assistance during activities
- Use peer-support pairing
For advanced learners:
- Encourage use of entrepreneurial vocabulary (e.g., profit, customer)
- Ask "why" and "how" questions to deepen thinking
- Suggest designing a simple business plan or advertising their product verbally
- Involve them in leading parts of the group discussion or game

Assessment Opportunities

Observation of participation and engagement during the Product Charades game.
Students’ ability to articulate a simple definition or describe what entrepreneurs do.
Review the product designs for creativity and understanding of needs.
Listen for use of entrepreneurial vocabulary during sharing.
Teacher checklist of success criteria demonstrated during lesson.

Materials and Resources Needed

Product cue cards for charades (pictures of everyday products)
Storybook or script about a local entrepreneur
Craft supplies (paper, crayons, safety scissors, glue, recycled materials)
Large chart paper and markers
Visual aids for qualities of entrepreneurs (emojis, pictures)

Reflection for Future Lessons

Collect student feedback on which activities sparked the most interest.
Adjust complexity of language or tasks based on student responses.
Plan to progressively introduce simple economic terms in later lessons.
Consider involving a local entrepreneur guest speaker in future sessions if possible.

Notes on Teaching Style and Setting

This lesson uses a small group setting ideal for personalised interaction.
Combines game-based learning with storytelling and hands-on creative tasks to enhance engagement and understanding.
Powerpoint or slides can be easily introduced in future lessons to support visual learners.
The lesson cycle integrates well with thematic learning days and aligns with literacy and STEM units.

I hope this detailed lesson plan “Entrepreneurial Spark” excites and equips teachers with a structured yet flexible approach to introducing entrepreneurship to Year 1 students, aligned with the NSW Curriculum! If you would like, I can assist in creating lesson plans for Years 2 and 3 with tailored differentiation and enrichment strategies.

Teaching Instructions