Young Entrepreneurs

Week 1: Discover & Ideate

Stage of Inquiry: Tuning In

This stage ignites curiosity and frames the inquiry by exploring the entrepreneurial landscape with examples students can connect to.

Learning Objectives:

• Introduce the concept of entrepreneurship.
• Understand how entrepreneurs solve problems in society while managing limited resources.
• Develop foundational knowledge of needs versus wants.

Australian Curriculum Alignment:

Content Descriptor: Economics and Business – Year 5

• Explore why decisions need to be made when allocating resources (ACHASSK119).
• Consider the influence of consumer and financial decisions on individuals and the community (ACHASSK120).

Role of the Teacher:

• Facilitate discussions and provide curated examples.
• Provide scaffolded resources, such as videos or case studies, to reinforce understanding.
• Guide brainstorming activities to maximise student engagement.

Role of the Students:

• Engage actively in class discussions.
• Identify needs and problems in their community through guided questioning.
• Begin brainstorming potential solutions and ideas.

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60-Minute Lesson Plan:

Hook (10 minutes)

• Teacher-led activity: Show a short, engaging video about a young entrepreneur (12-year-old Aussie entrepreneur Sabri Suby, for example, or a fictionalised Shark Tank pitch adapted for children).
• Discuss: How did this person solve a need or problem in their community? Highlight limited resources (time, money, creativity).

Rich Task (20 minutes)

Hands-on Inquiry Activity:

• Split the class into small groups (4 students each, 26 students total).

• Provide sticky notes and large chart paper. Instruct students to answer the question:
  "What are the most common problems in your school, community, or neighbourhood? What needs are unmet?"

• Rotate, giving each group 5 minutes to expand on others’ ideas (writing their additions under subcategories). Examples of categories include "environment," "wellbeing," or "entertainment."

Whole Class Reflection (10 minutes)

• Bring the class together to discuss their group findings and consolidate ideas into two main focus areas: What do we need? and How can limited resources affect solutions?

Formative Assessment (10 minutes)

• Hand out small “Problem-Solver Cards” where students write one specific community problem they are passionate about exploring further. Collect these for review and to guide Week 2 planning.

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Week 2: Research & Develop

Stage of Inquiry: Finding Out

Students begin researching their ideas, understanding key business concepts, and framing resources into their community's context.

Learning Objectives:

• Investigate how businesses use resources efficiently.
• Identify competition and customer needs in their market.
• Understand the basics of costs, pricing, and profit.

Curriculum Alignment:

• Examine consumer purchasing decisions (ACHASSK120).
• Explain entrepreneurial choices and societal benefits using given evidence.

Role of the Teacher:

• Facilitate small-group research by providing curated resources.
• Teach foundational concepts explicitly to scaffold deeper exploration (e.g., profit calculation or resource trade-offs).

Role of the Students:

• Dive deeper into solving a chosen problem by conducting research.
• Develop ideas into preliminary pitches.

60-Minute Lesson Plan:

Explicit Instruction (15 minutes):

• Explain core business concepts (e.g., costs and profit margins). Use practical scenarios, such as selling lemonade at a school market, to make it relatable.
• Teach students how businesses identify customers' needs through surveys or informal data collection.

Guided Group Work (35 minutes):

• Market Research Simulation:
  Groups develop a simple survey to ask classmates about customer needs. Sample questions include:

  • “What would you do to make school lunches more fun?”
  • “What’s a product you wish existed on your walk home from school?”

• Groups begin drafting solutions based on survey results and outline how their idea could utilise resources.

Quick Reflection Activity (10 minutes):

• Groups share one challenge they foresee in developing their idea (e.g., cost, competition, or resource management).

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Week 3: Prototype & Refine

Stage of Inquiry: Sorting Out

Students refine their business ideas and prepare prototypes, ensuring alignment with business fundamentals.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply creative thinking to design and create a simple business prototype or service plan.
• Begin considering the pitch: how to market and sell their idea.

Curriculum Alignment:

• Develop informed business decisions and consider strategies to attract customers using evidence (ACHASSI102).

Role of the Teacher:

• Provide templates for planning and prototyping.
• Ensure equitable participation within groups and manage time effectively.
• Give individual and group feedback as ideas become more concrete.

Role of the Students:

• Collaborate on project development.
• Use feedback to improve their product or service.

60-Minute Lesson Plan:

Mini-Lesson on Prototyping (15 minutes):

• Demonstrate simple "rapid prototyping." Use supplies such as Lego, cardboard, or digital drawing apps (e.g., Canva).
• Explain 3 key prototype components: Features, Costs, Target Audience.

Prototype Development (30 minutes):

• Students create a paper blueprint of their service or construct a product mock-up. Provide art supplies and sample templates.
• Targeted Teacher Feedback Stations: Rotate between groups, offering feedback on feasibility and presentation.

Exit Card Reflection (5 Minutes):

• Each student writes 1 question they still have about their product or how to communicate its value.

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Week 4: Pitch & Showcase

Stage of Inquiry: Taking Action

Students pitch their ideas in a "Shark Tank"-style classroom event, applying their learning and justifying decisions.

Learning Objectives:

• Present their business product/service with confidence.
• Respond to constructive criticism, adapt, and propose solutions.

Curriculum Alignment:

• Apply economics concepts to decision-making processes and justify entrepreneurial ideas (ACHASSI103).

Role of the Teacher:

• Provide structured pitch preparation guidance.
• Act as a “Shark Tank” judge, encouraging probing questions.
• Give final feedback and assess business viability.

Role of the Students:

• Present business concepts to peers using persuasive skills.
• Learn resilience and adaptability through feedback.

60-Minute Lesson Plan:

Pitch Preparation (20 minutes):

• Distribute a “Pitch Cheat Sheet” with questions students must address:

  • “Who is your target audience?”
  • “What makes your idea unique?”
  • “Why is this better than competitors’ ideas?”

• Each group practises for 10 minutes using cue cards and feedback from another group.

Shark Tank Showcase (30 minutes):

• Groups present their pitch (3 minutes per group). Judges (teacher and peer panel) ask one follow-up question per group. Assign mock investments for their favourite pitches.

Final Reflection (10 Minutes):

• Whole-class discussion:
  • What did we learn about problem-solving in business?
  • What was hard about working with limited resources?
  • How will these skills help us in the future?

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Formative & Summative Assessment

• Week 1: Problem-Solver Card contributions to assess ideation skills.
• Week 2: Market research questions developed collaboratively.
• Week 3: Annotated prototypes or blueprints.
• Week 4: Oral presentation (pitch), evaluated on clarity, feasibility, and adherence to criteria.

This unit plan ensures hands-on engagement, critical thinking, and real-world application—all perfect for building young entrepreneurs in a fun, age-appropriate way.