Entrepreneurship
Course Description:
Entrepreneurship facilitates the process of creating a business. Students will learn the startup process of a business while developing a product or service to be offered within the community. Students will utilize skills acquired through PSB to problem-solve, brainstorm, network, reflect, collaborate, manage time, and communicate. Enrollment for the capstone course is contingent upon an invitation from a PSB instructor. Students from other disciplines may enroll if they have previously developed a product or service. Startup! is encouraged as the introductory class. Students from other disciplines can take the class with a teacher's recommendation.
Grade Level(s): 11th-12th grade
Related Priority Standards (State &/or National): Missouri Show-Me Standards, Missouri BMIT Instructional Framework
Essential Questions
- What makes a problem worth solving?
- How do we determine if the problem is solvable?
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem?
- How do we determine the core of a multi-faceted problem?
- How do we know what data to gather to evaluate a solution?
Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas
- Using a problem-solving process increases the probability of success.
- People learn best when learning is authentic and based upon a real need.
- Problems have varying levels of impact.
- Problem solving is continuous.
- Challenges of problems can be solved with a universal problem-solving process.
Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)
Unit: Problem Identification - Identify a problem by defining and justifying the need for a solution to the problem. In addition, past efforts to solve the problem have been researched and the problem has been clearly stated with a target audience identified.
- Business Organization - Students will determine the business organization they will be using to solve the problem.
- Identify information need.
- Access prior knowledge, experiences and contacts relevant to needed information.
- Identify the type of business organization needed to complete a solution.
- Research Previous Attempted Solutions to Problem - Students will locate previous attempts to resolve the problem. Any related information will provide direction to the student in their attempt to locate the feasibility of solving the problem.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- What makes a problem worth solving? - The ability to break down a problem to decide if it is worth solving; considering additional issues needing to be addressed; financial rewards,
and other factors.- Access prior knowledge, experiences and contacts relevant to needed information.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem? Successful people approach problems through a process of identification and best solution selection. Upon selecting the correct tool, successful people then implement a plan through the resolution of a problem.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
- Access prior knowledge, experiences and contacts relevant to needed information.
- How do we determine the core of a multi-faceted problem? Determine the core of a multi-faceted problem.
- Identify information need.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
Unit: Solution Generation - Develop solutions to identified problem and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each solution.
- Brainstorming - Brainstorming will be used to generate solutions to the defined problem.
- Identify information need.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- Working with others to develop ideas through brainstorming.
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem? Successful people in problem solving go through a very clear, yet not rigid, process to solve a problem.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
Unit: Solution Selection - Selection of the best solution is justified through making a decision at the margin given the least opportunity costs and greatest potential for reward.
- Presentation - Students will use presentation skills to disseminate information.
- Use technology to communicate information.
- Collaboration - Collaboration is used to enhance ideas and production.
- Collaboration is used to enhance ideas and production.
- Identify information need.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem? Successful people use a predetermined method for solving a problem.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
Unit: Develop Plan - Development of plan will include, but not be excluded to: business plan and marketing plan. Students should be capable of completing the following statement: My company (Name) is developing (definition) to help (target audience) (solve a problem) with (a secret sauce).
- Team Building and Collaboration - Team building and collaboration are critical elements to building a quality business organization and ultimately success in business.
- Collaboration is used to enhance ideas and production.
- Team Building
- Networking - Networking is key to successful problem solving as it connects you to people who have experiences beyond your own.
- Collaboration is used to enhance ideas and production.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- Team Building
- Working with others to develop ideas through brainstorming.
- Marketing Plan - A marketing plan is a comprehensive blueprint which outlines an organization's overall marketing efforts.
- Developing a Marketing Plan
- Business Plan - A business plan articulates the specific course of action a company plans to take when starting a business.
- Develop a business plan.
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem? Successful people understand how to use a set criteria to solve a problem.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
Unit: Develop Control Method/Evaluation - Develop a control method/evaluation form to track the performance of the solution to be implemented.
- Develop a control method to determine if the solution is successful. Develop a control method to determine if the implemented solution is successful at accomplishing the intended goal.
- Develop a control method to determine if the solution is successful.
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem? Successful problem solvers use a predetermined set of criteria to work through problems.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
Unit: Act. Learn. Build. - Implement the solution to the problem and track data through the control mechanism. Analyze data periodically and redevelop plan to consider new information or develop new solutions to better address the stated problem. Implement the revised plan.
- Act. Learn. Build. Students will act on their plans, learn from their experiences, and build upon their new knowledge to improve their solutions.
- Access prior knowledge, experiences and contacts relevant to needed information.
- Collaboration is used to enhance ideas and production.
- Decide if the problem is worth solving.
- Develop a business plan.
- Develop a control method to determine if the solution is successful.
- Developing a Marketing Plan
- Identify information need.
- Identify the type of business organization needed to complete solution.
- Research and locate information regarding a defined problem.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
- Team Building
- Use technology to communicate information.
- Working with others to develop ideas through brainstorming.
- What do successful people do when they experience a problem? Successful problem solvers have set criteria for working through problems.
- Successful people work to identify and work through a problem-solving process that resolves a problem.
Date Last Revised/Approved:
Board approved November 2012