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Business Communications

Course Description

Business Communication provides students with communication principles, concepts, and techniques which are essential components for effective organizational behavior in oral, written, and nonverbal communication situations.  Communication strategies utilizing principles of psychology and appropriate methodology will be emphasized. Students will utilize problem solving skills which can be transferred to work after high school.

Grade Level(s): 9-12

Course Expections & Rationale:

Students will develop or improve their ability to use clear, concise, and grammatically correct language as they employ appropriate formats in writing e-mail messages, memos, business letters, cover letters, and résumés.

Students will improve their ability to select, organize, and effectively deliver information in a businesslike manner with appropriate language, articulation, nonverbal communication, and visual supporting materials. They will develop skills in using visual aids, handouts, and multimedia presentation materials.

Students will develop or improve their ability to listen; to contribute to team performance; to plan and participate in productive meetings; to use collaborative technologies; to understand and employ nonverbal skills to advance their career; to work in diverse environments, and to gain a competitive edge with professionalism and business etiquette skills.

Students will develop an understanding of the importance of understanding verbal and nonverbal communication while conducting business in other countries. Business and dining etiquette will be examined and an overseas business meeting will be arranged with a focus on cultural awareness in business.

Students will discover careers related to passions, participate in group discussions with local small business owners and entrepreneurs on current trends in fields, develop usable resumes and cover letters, as well as participate in mock job interviews. The role of social media and networking will also play a heavy role in creating resumes and utilizing resources to obtain jobs related to careers.

Course Expectations & Rationale:

Students will develop or improve their ability to use clear, concise, and grammatically correct language as they employ appropriate formats in writing e-mail messages, memos, business letters, cover letters, and résumés.

Students will improve their ability to select, organize, and effectively deliver information in a businesslike manner with appropriate language, articulation, nonverbal communication, and visual supporting materials. They will develop skill in using visual aids, handouts, and multimedia presentation materials.

Students will develop or improve their ability to listen; to contribute to team performance; to plan and participate in productive meetings; to use collaborative technologies; to understand and employ nonverbal skills to advance their career; to work in diverse environments, and to gain a competitive edge with professionalism and business etiquette skills.

Students will develop an understanding of the importance of understanding verbal and nonverbal communication while conducting business in other countries. Business and dining etiquette will be examined and an overseas business meeting will be arranged with a focus on cultural awareness in business.

Students will discover careers related to passions, participate in group discussions with local small business owners and entrepreneurs on current trends in fields, develop usable resumes and cover letters, as well as participate in mock job interviews. The role of social media and networking will also play a heavy role in creating resumes and utilizing resources to obtain jobs related to careers.

Course Essential Questions:

  • What tone are you conveying in a good or bad news message to employees, colleagues and clients?
  • Describe different methods of delivery for presenting to an audience.
  • What role does nonverbal communication play in a work environment?
  • Why does professionalism matter?
  • How can teams effectively communicate in a global environment?

Related Priority Standards (State &/or National): BMIT - Business Education

Course Enduring Understandings, Goals, & Objectives:

  • Students will apply business communication strategies and principles to prepare effective communication for domestic and international business situations. 
  • Students will identify ethical, legal, cultural, and global issues affecting business communication.  
  • Students will utilize analytical and problem solving skills appropriate to business communication. 
  • Students will participate in team activities that lead to the development of collaborative work skills.
  • Students will select appropriate organizational formats and channels used in developing and presenting business messages.
  • Students will compose and revise accurate business documents. 
  • Communicate via electronic mail, Internet, and other technologies.
  • Students will deliver an effective oral business presentation.
  • Students will apply verbal and nonverbal communications skills in a mock job interview. 

Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)

Unit 1: Business Ethics and Workplace Skills - In this unit, students investigate workplace behaviors. They will analyze ethical dilemmas and create recommendations for creating a solution.

  1. Concept 1: How to know if a behavior is right or wrong.   
    1. Students will define “ethical” and “unethical” behaviors.
    2. Students will evaluate their own ethical behaviors.
  2. Concept 2: Ethical Decision Making.
    1. Students will research a corporate fraud case.
    2. Students will evaluate various unethical workplace scenarios.
    3. Students will assess technological advances and ethics around them (self-driving cars).
  3. Concept 3: Workplace Skills.
    1. Differentiate between hard and soft skills.
    2. Analyze your current skills and those you will need in the future.
    3. Demonstrate the use of soft skills in a variety of scenarios.

Unit 2:  Nonverbal Communication - In this unit, students will develop awareness of non-verbal cues.

  1. Concept 1: Why nonverbal cues matter.
    1. Students will become sensitive to other people's body language.
    2. Students will become more sensitive to their own body language and its meaning.
  2. Types of nonverbal cues and body language.
    1. Students will study facial expressions, posture, gestures, eye contact, touch voice and space.
    2. Students will assess proxemics of space.
  3. Concept 3: Cultural awareness and nonverbal cues.
    1. Students will identify nonverbal cues in other countries.
    2. Students will compare and contrast cultural nonverbal cues abroad and within the United States.
    3. Students will share and demonstrate appropriate workplace body language and nonverbal cues in a global work space.

Unit 3:  Active Listening - In this unit, students build active listening skills.

  1. Concept 1: Ingredients to becoming an active listener.
    1. Students will define active listening.
    2. Students will evaluate their own active listening capability.
    3. Students will identify key skills to become an active listener.

Unit 4:  Written Communication - In this unit, students write internal business correspondences. They develop or improve their ability to use clear, concise, and grammatically correct language as they employ appropriate formats in writing e-mail messages, memos, business letters, and résumés.

  1. Concept 1: Writing an email and memo message.
    1. Students will identify why fonts matter and business email and memo formats.
    2. Students will explain professional email etiquette.
    3. Students will practice writing good news and bad news emails and memos to employees.
  2. Concept 2: Persuasive letter writing.
    1. Students will understand business letter format.  
    2. Students will evaluate persuasive letters.
    3. Students will write a professional persuasive letter.
  3. Concept 3: Create a Resume
    • Students will analyze high school resumes.
    • Students will evaluate different resume formats.
    • Students will create a resume.

Unit 5:  Speaking to an Audience - In this unit, students apply verbal skills to convey information through oral presentations.  They will improve their ability to select, organize, and effectively deliver information in a presentation with appropriate language, articulation and visual supporting materials.

  1. Concept 1: How to deliver an effective presentation
    1. Students will evaluate an audience and speaking to different groups of people.
    2. Students will critique body language
  2. Concept 2: Using body language to help deliver a message
    1. Students will learn how to use hands, eye contact, and body language to engage an audience.
    2. Students will analyze the importance of moving while speaking.
  3. Concept 3: Persuading and audience
    1. Students will evaluate different ways to capture an audience by emotion.
    2. Students will develop skills to engage an audience to understand their viewpoint.
    3. Students will create a persuasive pitch to a target audience.

Unit 6:  Job Interview - In this unit, students will create a resume, complete a job application, and participate in a mock interview.

  1. Concept 1: Application Process and Resume Building
    1. Students will locate job opportunities as a teenager and the hiring process.
    2. Students will evaluate sample resumes and formats.
    3. Students will create an electronic resume.
    4. Students will complete a job application.
    5. Students will create a LinkedIn account
  2. Concept 2: The Interview Process
    1. Students will understand the differences in soft skill and hard skill questions in an interview.
    2. Students will practice answering interview questions with a peer.
    3. Students will participate in a mock job interview.

Course Resources & Materials: National Business Education, teacher created resources

Date Last Revised/Approved: 2023