Introduction+to+Business

=__[|INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS]__= Below are the units covered in this course and explanations of some of the resources used in each unit. Click the link above to access the DAA shared folder for this course. You may click on the title for each unit below to access the specific folder in the shared folder for that unit. The shared folder is password protected and meant to be accessed by DAA faculty only.


 * __Business Videos__:** Click the link to go to a page that has links on all kinds of videos on business, from real world business events to explanations of business concepts like net present value and the price/earnings ratio.

Business Podcasts: Click this link to view podcasts on business.

==**__UNIT ONE__:** [|The Business Environment](click on the link to see the shared folder for this unit)==


 * **__Unit Summary__:** This unit should introduce students to the environment in which businesses operate, especially the economy, government and the various stakeholders in society that influence business decisions. It is in this unit that you might introduce students to the [|SWOT analysis]. There are PowerPoints and worksheets in the folder that can help in starting this unit with some introduction of basic terminology and concepts. Each of the four general folders for the unit has a PowerPoint presentation.


 * **__Possible Unit Sequence__**
 * __Intro__: Introduce the course with the "Initial Questions" PowerPoint in the [|Starting the Course folder]. Then do one or two class periods of lecture and activities introducing basic concepts and vocabulary. There are PowerPoint presentations and vocabulary activities in the shared folder.


 * [|The Stock Market]: The stock market is a good way to introduce kids to the general idea of markets and its associated concepts (supply, demand, prices, etc.). Click the link above to go to a folder of activities related to the stock market.


 * You could start by explaining the concepts of supply and demand and defining important terms with the students (p/e ratio, IPO, etc.). The "Branding and Private Companies" activity is a good one to do here.
 * Then, spend a class or two on the shoe stock activity. This activity is good, as students make decisions on which stocks they would have bought in 2009. Since they can find all the information about 2009 stock prices online, they should be able to figure out the correct portfolio to start with and the most profitable transactions to make each month (they are allowed to buy and sell once a month). This helps them learn a great deal about the basics of the stock market.
 * Next, teach the concept of IPO's with the IPO activity in the folder.
 * Finally, start the stock market game project. There is an explanation of this in the stock market folder that I used as a handout. You will be using the website virtualstockexchange.com.


 * __[|Researched Essays]__: I did two research projects (called "Researched Essays") with the students that required them to think about the various extrernal forces that shape business decisions. The culminating activity for both of these was an essay written in class. They did research during class time in which they wrote a "Fact Sheet" of facts and quotes that they would use in writing the paper. The first essay was on the BP oil spill and required students to analyze how public opinion, government, market forces and competition from other businesses influenced BP's decisions before and after the spill. The second essay required students to analyze how the music industry has adapted to changes in technology such as the internet and file sharing. **Click on the link above and you will find an explanation of the project to give to students, a rubric for the essay and a sample fact sheet to give out to students**.


 * You could start by handing out the document with the explanation of the project. There is a sheet in the shared folder that explains the music industry project. You could alter it to do the same for BP or any other business you would like to focus on. There is also a PBS Frontline documentary called //[|The Spill]// that you could use here as an introductory grabber or just for information. You can stream the entire video in about 10-15 minute segments (60 minutes total) from the linked web page.
 * Next, students will need about two class periods on the computers in a lab or using one of the carts to formulate a question (unless you have provided the question), do preliminary research, identify a thesis and arguments, identify evidence to support the thesis and complete the bibliography and fact sheet. I require students to hand in the bibliography and the fact sheet at the end of the last day of research. **There is a "Sample Fact Sheet" in the folder that I give students as a model.**
 * Then, I hand both documents back to them at the beginning of the next class (last day of the project). They have the entire period to write their essay, which is due at the end of class.

==**__UNIT TWO__:** [|PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS] (click on the link to see the shared folder for this unit)==


 * **__Unit Summary__:** This unit should introduce students to the types of people working in businesses, decisions that businesses have to make in regards to hiring personnel and management. There are activitites in the folder that look at these ideas from the perspective of the employee (resume writing) and the business (help wanted ad).

==**__UNIT THREE__:** [|MARKETING] (click on the link to see the shared folder for this unit)==


 * **__Unit Summary__:** This unit will introduce students to ways that firms market their products to potential customers. Advertising and branding are important aspects of this.

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 * **__Possible Unit Sequence__**
 * __Intro__: Begin the unit with the PowerPoint in the [|Marketing Mix folder], introducing basic concepts and vocabulary. It is here that you might teach the four P's of marketing. There is a good documentary (PBS Frontline) called //[|The Persuaders]//. Click the link to see the home page for the documentary. Click [|here] for a document that gives ideas for a teaching unit using the documentary. There are teaching resources on the web site. Another interesting Frontline documentary dealing with how businesses market to kids is //The [|Merchants of Cool].//
 * __[|Breakfast Cereal Project]__: In this project the students apply many of the important concepts of the unit in a practical way. The idea is for them to successfully market a breakfast cereal. By the end of the unit they will have chosen a __product__ to market, done __market research__ on the product, produced a __cereal box__ meant to appeal to their __target market__, created a __magazine advertisement__ for their cereal and a __television advertisement__. Click on the link above for the resources associated with the project. There is an explanation of the project in the folder. This serves as a handout that outlines the project for students at the beginning. Also, there are rubrics/evaluations for the various assessments. Students in the fall of 2011 showcased their magazine ads on a wiki. Click here to see the ads.
 * Political Advertisement Project: This is an extension of the breakfast cereal project. It is based on a suggestion from the PBS materials on //The Persuaders//. There were several steps to the project. First, students did research and chose a political position that they had an interest in advocating. Once they had chosen their position, they followed the procedure for a researched essay (see above in Unit One). Thus, they wrote a bibliography, created a fact sheet and wrote an essay advocating their position (just as in the unit one researched essays). After this the students created magazine ads advocating their positions. Finally, they made radio ads (podcasts) or television ads (video) about their issue. Click the link above to see some of the magazine ads and podcasts.
 * [|Brands]: Another aspect of marketing is brands. Click on the link to the left for a reading and guiding questions on this topic.

**__UNIT FOUR__:** ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE (click on the link to see the shared folder for this unit)

 * **__Unit Summary__:** This unit will introduce students to the financial side of business. The major topics here are the basics of accounting and finance.

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 * **__Possible Unit Sequence__**
 * __Intro__: There is a PowerPoint in the [|Finance and Accounting folder]of the shared folder that can be used to introduce the basic concepts and vocabulary for this unit.
 * __Accounting__: There are is an activity for profit/loss statements and one for balance sheets in the [|Accounting folder].
 * __Finance__: In the [|Finance folder] there is a PowerPoint that goes into more depth on financing. There is also an activity that teaches the concept of compound interest. There are two case studies on finance in business as well. This may be a good time to teach students how to do a case study to begin to prepare those going onto IB Business.