Building Strong Foundations

Lesson Plan for Year 12 Business – Introduction to the Subject

Curriculum Context:
This lesson is based on Level 7 of the New Zealand Curriculum under the Social Sciences learning area, with a focus on Business. At this level, students begin to explore how entrepreneurial actions, business processes, and market concepts operate in varying contexts. This lesson aligns with the Big Ideas of innovation, decision-making, and societal impact in business.

Learning Outcomes for the Lesson:
By the end of the session, students will:

1. Reflect on their prior knowledge of business concepts.
2. Understand the purpose and key components of Year 12 Business studies.
3. Develop an appreciation for the significance of businesses to communities with examples relevant to New Zealand.
4. Get introduced to the concepts of entrepreneurial behaviours and how they align with business objectives.

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Lesson Structure

Total Duration: 100 Minutes
Class Size: 14 Students

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1. Introduction and Housekeeping (10 minutes)

1. Teacher Welcome and Setting the Scene (5 minutes):

   • Begin with a warm welcome and outline the objectives of the lesson.
   • Introduce the idea that business is around them every day—whether it’s from small Māori-owned businesses on the marae to large multinational corporations in Auckland.

2. Icebreaker Activity (5 minutes):

   • Activity: "Logo Hunt." The teacher displays famous company logos (e.g., Air New Zealand, Whittaker’s, Kiwibank) and asks students to quickly name the companies.
   • Purpose: Demonstrate familiarity with businesses already in their lives, while creating an engaging start.

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2. Discovering Prior Knowledge (15 minutes)

Activity: “What Do You Already Know?”

• Format: Students work in pairs to brainstorm answers to open-ended questions:

  1. "What is a business?"
  2. "Why do businesses exist?"
  3. "Can you name local New Zealand businesses?"
  4. "What do you already know about how businesses work?"

• Execution:

  1. Each pair writes their ideas on sticky notes.
  2. They attach their sticky notes to a “Knowledge Wall” (whiteboard divided into categories like ‘Māori businesses,’ ‘Global Impact,’ ‘Entrepreneurship’).
  3. Discuss recurring themes briefly as a class.

• Outcome: Teacher gets an idea of students’ starting point and interests, helping tailor future lessons.

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3. Key Concepts in Business (30 minutes)

Mini-Lecture: "The Big Ideas of Business" (15 minutes)

• Use an interactive presentation (e.g., with printable, tactile exemplars or relevant props like product samples). Key talking points:
  1. What is a Business? A structured organisation that meets a need or solves a problem.
  2. Types of Businesses: Include examples such as small horticulture ventures exporting kiwifruit or large corporates like Fonterra.
  3. Business Objectives: Profit, sustainability, community good (e.g., Pātaka Kai initiatives in neighbourhoods).
  4. Cultural Significance in Business: Introduce the relevance of kaupapa Māori and other cultural value systems in NZ businesses.

Discussion and Reflection (15 minutes): "The World Around Us"

• Pose the question: "What kinds of businesses exist in your local area or community, and what impacts do they have?"
• Students take turns sharing one business, either a big corporation or a smaller venture, that they think stands out and why.
• Highlight examples with societal impact, like social enterprises or eco-businesses in NZ.

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4. Group Activity: Entrepreneur Starter Challenge (30 minutes)

Activity Name: "Solve a Community Problem with a Business Idea"

Steps:

1. Divide class into three random groups of 4-5 students.

2. Each group is tasked with creating a simple business idea that solves a problem in their local area. Examples could include:

   • A recycling system for schools.
   • A pop-up café for youth events.
   • An app connecting teens to part-time work opportunities.

3. Guiding Questions for Brainstorming:

   • What problem are you solving?
   • Who are the customers?
   • What resources would you need?

4. Groups are provided with:

   • A3 paper.
   • Markers and stickers.

5. Presentation:

   • Each group shares their business idea briefly (1-2 minutes each).
   • The teacher provides one piece of positive feedback and one question to challenge them.

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5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (15 minutes)

1. Consolidation (10 minutes):

   • The teacher revisits key themes like business objectives, entrepreneurial thinking, and cultural impact.
   • Highlight the wide variety of ideas students came up with during their group activity.

2. Exit Slip Reflection Activity (5 minutes):
   Each student writes down their answers to the following questions before leaving class:

   • "What is one new thing you learned about business today?"
   • "What do you think makes a good business idea?"

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Key Resources and Materials

1. Printed NZ Curriculum Level 7 overview for Business (for teacher reference).
2. Sticky notes, A3 papers, markers, stickers.
3. List of local NZ businesses for examples.
4. Simple slides outlining the introduction of Year 12 Business concepts.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative Feedback: Observe student participation in brainstorming and group discussions.
• Exit Slips: Use student reflections to assess understanding and identify gaps for follow-up lessons.

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Next Steps

The next lesson will deepen students’ understanding of enterprise within a real-world context. We will focus on exploring specific case studies of NZ businesses (e.g., Icebreaker, Zespri) and the concept of "social responsibility" in business operations.

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This lesson plan is designed to spark interest in business studies, gauge students' prior knowledge, and start building critical thinking skills about entrepreneurship and local business operations. It builds a strong foundation for more complex topics to come!