Business Opportunities for Our Community
                                                       By:  Shannon Foerch ​

Project at a Glance :

This project is designed for 1st/ 2nd graders and is largely based on economic grade level standards. Students will identify what kinds of businesses our local community already has and create a new business to present to the City Council or City Board Members.

Driving Question:

How do we know what kind of new business would excel/thrive in Zeeland?            

Standards:

• Economics Stds:  2 – E1.0.12, 2 – E1.0.3, 2 – G1.0.1
• Opinion Writing - Why the business they chose should be the one added to our city?

Team / Culture Building:

• Ask collaborative groups to build a 3D map of the city highlighting current businesses and organizations​

Entry Event:​​

• Field Trip of City; Virtual Options:  Video from Zeeland or Google Maps
  
• Read a  letter from City Manager asking for help in deciding what kind of new business  to add to our city.

Stakeholders:

• Zeeland City Council or Chamber of Commerce Members
• Zeeland Families

Empathy Building:

• Create Empathy Maps for the following people - City Council/ Chamber Member and a family who lives downtown.

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Class Discussion → Create a KWL chart:
  • What do you know about our city?
  • Where have you been in our city?
  • What kinds of businesses are in our city? Do they provide a good or a service?
  • What kind of business is do you wish to have in our city?
• On our field trip, list the types of businesses and have students do a tally to figure out what type of business might be needed.  Including current number of restaurants, banks, stores, etc.
• Field Trip of City (Virtual?  Video from Zeeland or Google Maps)
• Maps of the city in small group → Create a “noticings” chart
• Review the City of Zeeland Vision Plan
• Interview with City Council Member or Chamber of Commerce
• Economics Videos → 
  • Good vs. Services
  • Opportunity Cost
• Economic Book Collection via EPIC … students will read through several to build background knowledge​.

Incubation:

• Class discussion/ small group activity → graphic organizers to list ideas with one person having the job of the “recorder” 
• Create a safe environment to share idea​

• Anti-Problem Protocol: Have students brainstorm the opposite of what they driving question is asking... so "What kind of business would NOT do well in our city?"​

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Solution Building:

• Using the tally chart of types of businesses, students will use the Dot Voting protocol to find out what kind of new business is needed for our new city.
• NUF Test to narrow down ideas​

Critique and Revision: 

• After designing a first draft of their advertisement,  groups will share out their business ideas in a  Gallery Walk using the “Grow/ Glow” protocol to help guide discussion … use this as a sentence starters.

Authentic Audience:

• Using Seesaw, we will be sharing out our advertisements (via QR codes) to the Zeeland Chamber of Commerce and City Marketing director.

Final Presentation:

• Students will use Seesaw to create an advertisement to share out their new business.​

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

• Rubric for student advertisement

• Rubric for PBL/ Skills for Success

Click here for the  teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet.

Meet the Educator:
Shannon Foerch teaches 1st and 2nd grade at Zeeland Quest, Zeeland Public Schools.  

​     "PBL is a great way to engage students in real-world problems that they can understand and see the result!"