Business & Technology Trends

Objective

By the end of this 45-minute session, 12th-grade students will be able to:

• Analyze current business and technology trends and their impact on global markets.
• Evaluate how technology disrupts traditional business models.
• Develop critical thinking by assessing future implications of emerging technologies in business.

Aligned with Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas clearly and accurately.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on topics, texts, and issues, integrating multiple perspectives.

Materials Needed

• Projector or smart board
• Printed trend articles (brief excerpts) or access to pre-selected digital articles
• Chart paper and markers
• Student notebooks or laptops/tablets

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Lesson Breakdown

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Begin by asking: “How has technology changed the way businesses operate today compared to 10 years ago?”
• Write key ideas on the board (e.g., online shopping, automation, social media marketing).
• Briefly introduce the lesson objective: understanding how current technology trends impact business.

Activity 1: Trend Exploration & Group Analysis (15 minutes)

• Divide students into 5 groups of 6.
• Assign each group one major business and technology trend (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, E-Commerce, Blockchain, Remote Work Technology, Social Media Marketing).
• Provide short excerpts or summaries of articles on their assigned trend.
• Task: Identify the trend’s impact on business, challenges, and potential future effects (use guiding questions).
  • How does this technology change customer experience?
  • What business functions are most affected?
  • What ethical or economic challenges arise?

Common Core Integration:

• Encourages RI.11-12.7, integration, and evaluation across media formats.
• Supports SL.11-12.1 through collaborative discussion within groups.

Activity 2: Present & Discuss (15 minutes)

• Each group presents a 2-minute summary to the class.
• Encourage peer questions and quick discussions after each presentation.
• Note patterns or intersecting impacts of technology across different trends on the board.

Common Core Integration:

• Develops speaking and listening skills per SL.11-12.1.
• Engages critical thinking and comprehension aligned with RI.11-12.1.

Activity 3: Writing Reflection (8 minutes)

• Individually, students write a brief explanatory paragraph responding to:
  "How might one of the technologies we discussed reshape a business you are familiar with in the next 5 years?"
• Encourage use of evidence from the presentations and articles.

Common Core Integration:

• Aligned with W.11-12.2, writing clear and coherent explanatory texts.
• Reinforces RI.11-12.1 as students cite evidence learned from readings and presentations.

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Assessment

• Group presentation quality and content accuracy (informal formative assessment).
• Individual reflection paragraph assessed for clarity, relevance, and evidence use (formal formative assessment).

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Extension Ideas for Advanced Learning or Homework

• Research a recent startup that uses one of these technologies in a unique way and prepare a report.
• Debate the ethical implications of AI in business.

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Teacher Notes

• To impress and innovate, consider using a quick AI-generated summary or visualization tool live to support students’ understanding (optional).
• Monitor group dynamics to ensure equitable participation.
• Focus on encouraging synthesis of information from multiple sources and formats as per Common Core emphasis on literacy across disciplines.