Course Plan: Business & Finance for Multi-Age Homeschool Group (Grades K-5)

Course Overview

This 4-week course provides students with a foundational understanding of business and finance through the use of the mentor text Civic Square: The Grand Opening. Each week will explore specific themes that contribute to a well-rounded understanding of the business environment. Students will engage in reading, writing, grammar, and math activities that incorporate real-world applications, culminating in practical role-play scenarios.

Monthly Wrap-Up

By the end of the month, students will have applied reading, writing, grammar, and math skills to role-play as entrepreneurs, bankers, investors, and insurance agents. They will complete city-building projects and run simulated businesses, reflecting on real-world decision-making and demonstrating mastery through a final market showcase, civic simulation, or presentation.

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1: Business & Finance

Objective: Students will understand basic business concepts, including budgeting and store design.

Day 1: Introduction to Businesses

Activity: Read Chapters 1-2 of Civic Square and discuss types of businesses explored.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.1.1, MAFS.2.MD.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Illustrated vocabulary flashcards.
3-5 Differentiation: Group discussion on business definitions.

Day 2: Budgeting Basics

Activity: Introduce basic budgeting; students create a budget for a small store.
GSE Standards: MAFS.3.NF.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Use visual aids; simple item price listing.
3-5 Differentiation: Calculate total costs and profit margins.

Day 3: Store Design Challenge

Activity: Design a store layout; present designs to peers for feedback.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.3.1, MAFS.5.G.1.2
K-2 Differentiation: Use drawing materials to create designs.
3-5 Differentiation: Use graph paper to scale store designs.

Day 4: Role-Playing Business Owners

Activity: Role-play scenarios where students act as business owners selling items from their designs.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.4.1, MAFS.3.OA.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Use simple dialogues and role scripts.
3-5 Differentiation: Incorporate negotiation skills.

Day 5: Reflection and Writing

Activity: Write a reflection on what they learned about running a business.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.5.1
K-2 Differentiation: Use a sentence starter for reflections.
3-5 Differentiation: Write a paragraph summarizing their experience.

Week 2: Bank Careers

Objective: Students will explore different bank careers and their functions.

Day 1: Introduction to Banks

Activity: Read about AJ's banking experience in Civic Square.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.1.1, MAFS.1.OA.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Create a bank vocabulary chart.
3-5 Differentiation: Discuss roles in a bank.

Day 2: Savings Tracker Creation

Activity: Design a savings tracker for students to track their money.
GSE Standards: MAFS.2.MD.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Provide a simple template.
3-5 Differentiation: Use math to set savings goals.

Day 3: Role-Playing Bank Jobs

Activity: Role-play as bank tellers and customers.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.3.1
K-2 Differentiation: Simple transactions.
3-5 Differentiation: Incorporate loan concepts in role-play.

Day 4: Importance of Saving

Activity: Discuss why saving money is crucial; create a saving plan.
GSE Standards: MAFS.3.NF.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Use visuals to represent savings.
3-5 Differentiation: Calculate potential savings over time.

Day 5: Writing a Job Description

Activity: Write a job description for a bank career based on roles discussed.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.4.1
K-2 Differentiation: Fill in the blanks with keywords.
3-5 Differentiation: Write detailed descriptions.

Week 3: Investment & Stock Market

Objective: Students will learn about investments and how the stock market works.

Day 1: Introduction to Investments

Activity: Read about investments in Civic Square.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.1.1, MAFS.3.MD.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Create an illustration of their favorite investment.
3-5 Differentiation: Create a short presentation on types of investments.

Day 2: Investment Tracking

Activity: Track a fictional investment over a week.
GSE Standards: MAFS.2.MD.1.2
K-2 Differentiation: Use simple charts.
3-5 Differentiation: Use spreadsheets to track imaginary stocks.

Day 3: Graphing Investments

Activity: Graph investment data from tracking activity.
GSE Standards: MAFS.3.DP.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Create bar graphs with stickers.
3-5 Differentiation: Create line graphs.

Day 4: Stock Market Simulation

Activity: Participate in a mock stock exchange.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.3.1, MAFS.5.NF.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Simple buy/sell cards.
3-5 Differentiation: Use real stock names and make trades.

Day 5: Reflective Writing on Investments

Activity: Write about what they learned regarding investments.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.5.1
K-2 Differentiation: Simple sentence prompts.
3-5 Differentiation: Write a paragraph summarizing key concepts.

Week 4: Insurance Careers

Objective: Students will explore the role of insurance and its importance.

Day 1: Understanding Insurance

Activity: Read about insurance in Civic Square.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Discuss insurance through storytelling.
3-5 Differentiation: Brainstorm the types of insurance.

Day 2: Create an Insurance Plan

Activity: Design a simple insurance plan for a fictional scenario.
GSE Standards: MAFS.4.NF.1.1
K-2 Differentiation: Illustrate their plan.
3-5 Differentiation: Describe risks and coverage.

Day 3: Claim Writing Practice

Activity: Write a mock insurance claim based on their plans.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.4.1
K-2 Differentiation: Use sentence starters.
3-5 Differentiation: Write a detailed claim narrative.

Day 4: Role-Playing Insurance Agents

Activity: Role-play scenarios as insurance agents answering client queries.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.3.1
K-2 Differentiation: Simplified role-play.
3-5 Differentiation: Incorporate more complex scenarios.

Day 5: Final Presentations

Activity: Present their insurance plans, claims, and experiences.
GSE Standards: ELA.K12.EE.5.1
K-2 Differentiation: Use visuals.
3-5 Differentiation: Present to the group with a clear explanation.

Assessment & Final Project

At the end of the course, students will showcase their learning through a simulation of a city market. They'll present aspects of their businesses, banks, investments, and insurance solutions to an audience (family members or other students), demonstrating their mastery of the concepts acquired throughout the month.