ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

My rationale for this unit of instruction begins with desire to introduce my students to “real” world scenarios of opening and furnishing a small business. According to the U.S. Small Business Association (U.S.SBA), in 2003, there were approximately 23.7 million businesses in the United States with small firms with less than 500 employees representing 99.7 percent of the 23.7 million businesses. In this same time period, there was over 570,000 new firms beginning their first year of operation however there was also 554,000 firms who closed their doors. Two-thirds of new employer firms survive at least two years, and about half survive at least four years. I would like my students to realize that opening a new business requires them to think outside the box when deciding what they want to do with their careers. I also want my students to realize that opening a business involves a significant amount of money. Again, according to the U.S.SBA, about 82.5 percent of small firms used some form of credit in 1998. Small firms use many different sources of capital, including their own savings, loans from family and friends, and business loans from financial institutions. Opening a business and properly financing the business for the long term requires a person to research and shop for the most affordable office furnishings available.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: Students will understand that designing and furnishing an office requires a large amount of initial capital and that initial expenses need to be considered when deciding to open an office. Goal(s): To use the skills learned from prior instruction to construct a feasible office environment and be able to apply these skills into the real world. Students will be able to research office products and make informed decisions on which items are necessary vs. luxury items within the office. Students will understand the importance of every detail when setting up an office.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1. What do I need in order to operate an office and why are these items necessary within my office environment? 2. How much space should be used for each room and why are some rooms receiving more attention (space) than others? Which rooms are more important? 3. If I were to open this business, why are these items essential in the day-to-day operation of this office? 4. How much money do I really need to spend to open this office? 5. Why should I spend the same amount of money and why should I allocate as much space as I did on my partner’s office? Objectives: Through research the students will be able to identify items that will help them work in an office while using the checklist of essential office products. Students should identify and incorporate 90% of the checklist items on their storyboard. Students will explain which items are essential to an office worker with 90% accuracy when asked to identify these items on a storyboard. Students will present their information to the class by developing an office diagram within the given parameters. The diagram measurements should be drawn to scale and be within 5 feet of the allotted dimensions. Students will develop a budget, listing the items purchased for the office, and itemize the budget in order to show how much money was spent on each group member. The group must spend 80% of the initial capital but may not exceed their budget.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? None—A grading rubric will be used to assess the their final project. Students will be given the opportunity to give input on the rubric. I will also be walk around the room and monitor their progress as they work and answer any questions they may have. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? They are given requirements to meet at the beginning of the project. They are also given the grading rubric that I will use to grade their final project in order to see what it is going to take in order for them to achieve a passing score. What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Students will list the items they purchase for their office on a spreadsheet along with the cost of each item. The total budget for the project is not to exceed a preset dollar limit. Students will also create a storyboard or collage of the items they are furnishing their office. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? Students will also draw a diagram of their office space onto a piece of tag board and label their workstations and other items on the diagram.

Instructional Strategies

Students will be able to use a combination of project-based, inquiry-based, and problem-based activities as they find information on this project.In the Problem-based activities, students will use several different office supply catalogs, sales flyers, web sites, or advertisements to find the office supplies they will need to purchase for their office. In the Project-based activities, students will work in groups and organize all information gathered into one final project that will include a diagram of their office; a collage of their office supplies; and a budget for the items purchased. In the Inquiry-based activities, students will use the Internet, textbooks, catalogs, magazines, and their personal experience from a field trip to an office environment taken prior to the beginning of this project.