Shark Tank Success

Year Level

Year 6

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

25 students

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Unit

Business Basics: Shark Tank!

Lesson

8 of 20 – Creating a Business Plan

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Learning Intention

Students will understand and apply the key components of a simple business plan to prepare for their Shark Tank pitch.

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Australian Curriculum (v9) Alignment

Content Descriptions

• HASS / Economics and Business
  By the end of Year 6, students explain the role of planning and budgeting in achieving short and long-term financial objectives, and understand that businesses require planning to succeed.
  (Aligned with AC9HE8K05: Processes individuals and businesses use to plan and budget to achieve financial objectives)【18:AC9HE8K05.md】.

• HASS / Economics and Business
  Students create simple plans and explanations using business concepts and terms to show understanding of economic decisions and business operations, including describing goods, services, and entrepreneurial characteristics.
  (Draws from foundational curriculum elements such as AC9HE7K03 and AC9HE7K05 for lower secondary translated into age-appropriate Year 6 goals)【5:AC9HE7S05.md】【9:AC9HE7K03.md】.

General Capabilities

• Critical and Creative Thinking: apply business concepts in planning.
• Personal and Social Capability: teamwork when cooperating in pairs.
• Literacy: use appropriate business language and terms.

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Lesson Overview

Time	Activity	Description
5 min	Introduction	Recap what a business plan is and its importance using a visual/graphic organiser. Use a quick, interactive quiz or questioning to activate prior knowledge (e.g., What makes a business successful? What do you need to plan for?)
10 min	Explicit Teaching	Teacher reviews key business plan components: business name, product/service description, target customer, marketing approach, costs and pricing, and basic financial goal. Use a clear, scaffolded example related to student interests or their project idea.
20 min	Task – Paired Business Plan Drafting	Students work in pairs to draft their own business plans for their Shark Tank pitch using a provided template worksheet. Circulate and give targeted feedback, scaffold with guiding questions and prompts. Encourage use of simple financial reasoning (costs, price, profit aim).
7 min	Share and Reflect	Selected pairs briefly share their business plan with the class. Teacher highlights strong ideas and suggests improvements. Students reflect verbally on what they learned about planning and teamwork.
3 min	Wrap-up and Next Steps	Summarise the lesson’s key ideas. Explain how the plans will be developed further for the next pitches in subsequent lessons. Assign a simple reflective exit prompt to consolidate learning.

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Resources

• Business plan template worksheet tailored for Year 6
• Visual guide/poster of business plan components
• Projector or whiteboard for explicit teaching
• Example business plan sample linked to student interests (e.g., a lemonade stand or craft product)
• Exit reflection cards or journals

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Detailed Lesson Plan

1. Introduction (5 mins)

• Use questioning: "What do you think a business needs to be successful?" Write brief brainstorm ideas on the board.
• Introduce the concept of a business plan as a “map” or “blueprint” for success.
• Show a simple graphic organiser with main business plan sections.

2. Explicit Teaching (10 mins)

• Explain each section clearly, using examples relatable to students.
• Emphasise why planning is important for making good decisions and working well with others.
• Check understanding with short class Q&A.

3. Paired Task: Drafting Business Plan (20 mins)

• Distribute templates with prompts under each section.
• Students work in pairs, discussing and filling in their business plan draft.
• Teacher guides students by asking questions such as, “Who is your customer?”, “How much will it cost?”, “How will you tell people about your product?”
• Encourage students to think about what will make their business unique and appealing.

4. Share and Reflect (7 mins)

• Invite 3-4 pairs to present key parts of their plan (keep presentations short, 1-2 minutes).
• Positive reinforcement of creative ideas and constructive, supportive feedback for areas to develop.
• Ask pairs to reflect on the experience: “What was easy? What was tricky? What helped your team?”

5. Wrap-up and Next Steps (3 mins)

• Summarise: Strong business plans help you succeed by planning ahead.
• Explain that next lesson will build on these plans to create Shark Tank pitches.
• Exit prompt: “Write one thing you learnt today about business planning.”

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation during paired work to assess understanding and engagement.
• Check: Review of business plan drafts to ensure all key components are included and make sense for their chosen business idea.
• Summative (future lessons): Final business plan and pitch presentation assessed with a simple rubric based on completeness, creativity, and understanding of planning.

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Teacher Tips to WOW

• Use real-life, playful examples to demonstrate business planning (e.g., plan a mini-classroom “business” like selling bookmarks).
• Incorporate technology by using a digital template or simple presentation tools if devices are available.
• Build in moments for student voice: let pairs decide product names and marketing slogans.
• Prompt students to think about ethical business ideas and impact on community sustainability to spark deeper thinking.
• Use this lesson as a stepping stone to link financial literacy and entrepreneurial thinking naturally for Year 6, aligned with Australian Curriculum's intent to foster economic understanding before secondary years.

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This strategically structured 45-minute lesson harnesses curriculum-aligned content and innovative teaching strategies to ensure Year 6 students develop foundational business planning skills, essential for their ongoing "Shark Tank" unit journey【18:AC9HE8K05.md】【5:AC9HE7S05.md】【9:AC9HE7K03.md】.