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

Course Overview

The course focuses on "Business & Finance" using the mentor text Civic Square: The Grand Opening. Students in grades K–5 will participate in 20 lessons over four weeks that integrate reading, writing, grammar, and math skills through real-world scenarios, roleplay, and hands-on activities. The lessons will culminate in a monthly wrap-up showcasing their knowledge and skills.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

Understand basic business and finance concepts.
Explore various careers related to banking, investing, and insurance.
Implement reading, writing, and math skills through roleplay and simulations.
Reflect on real-world decision-making through practical projects.

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1: Business & Finance

Lesson 1: Introduction to Business

Objective: Students will understand what a business is and identify different types of businesses in their community.
Activities: Read Chapter 1 of Civic Square. Discuss local businesses. K-2: Draw a favorite local business. 3-5: Write a short paragraph about business types.
GSE Standards: W.K.1, W.3.2, M.1.NBT.1

Lesson 2: Starting Your Own Business

Objective: Students will brainstorm ideas for their own businesses.
Activities: Group brainstorming session. K-2: Create a poster of their business idea. 3-5: Draft a business plan outline.
GSE Standards: SL.K.1, SL.3.1, W.5.1

Lesson 3: Costs and Pricing

Objective: Students will learn about costs associated with running a business.
Activities: Introduction to budgeting concepts. K-2: Sort costs into fixed and variable. 3-5: Use a case study to calculate cost and pricing.
GSE Standards: M.K.NBT.1, M.3.NF.3, W.4.2

Lesson 4: Store Design

Objective: Students will design a layout for their own business.
Activities: Use graph paper to create a store design. K-2: Label items. 3-5: Consider floor space and customer flow.
GSE Standards: M.1.G.1, G.3.G.1

Lesson 5: Budgeting for Your Business

Objective: Students will create a basic budget for their store.
Activities: Provide a list of costs to create a sample budget. K-2: Simple addition of costs. 3-5: Create a detailed budget spreadsheet.
GSE Standards: M.K.NBT.2, M.5.NF.1, W.4.8

STEM Builder’s Blueprint Challenge for Week 1:

Task: Students will design and budget a simulated store, focusing on layout and costs.

Week 2: Bank Careers

Lesson 6: Introduction to Banking

Objective: Students will explore various banking careers.
Activities: Read Chapter 2 of Civic Square. Discuss roles in a bank (teller, manager). K-2: Roleplay teller. 3-5: Write about a career in banking.
GSE Standards: SL.K.1, SL.3.1, W.4.1

Lesson 7: Bank Functions

Objective: Students will understand the functionalities of different types of banks (commercial, community).
Activities: Compare/contrast activity. K-2: Complete a picture sort. 3-5: Create a Venn diagram.
GSE Standards: W.2.8, M.3.MD.3

Lesson 8: Saving Money

Objective: Students will learn the importance of saving money.
Activities: Discuss savings accounts. K-2: Decorate a savings jar. 3-5: Create a savings plan.
GSE Standards: W.2.1, M.5.NF.4

Lesson 9: Interest Rates

Objective: Students will understand basic concepts of interest.
Activities: Simple interest calculation game. K-2: Explain interest simply. 3-5: Calculate interest on savings.
GSE Standards: M.4.NBT.5, M.5.NF.6

Lesson 10: Bank Booth and Savings Tracker

Objective: Create a savings tracker.
Activities: Set up a savings tracker booth. K-2: Fill in a simple savings chart. 3-5: Create a monthly savings spreadsheet.
GSE Standards: M.K.NBT.3, W.4.7

STEM Builder’s Blueprint Challenge for Week 2:

Task: Design a bank booth that illustrates various bank functions and savings tracking.

Week 3: Investment & Stock Market

Lesson 11: Introduction to Investing

Objective: Understand basic investing concepts.
Activities: Read Chapter 3 of Civic Square. Discuss what investing means. K-2: Draw what they want to invest in. 3-5: Write reflections on investment choices.
GSE Standards: W.2.1, SL.4.1

Lesson 12: Stocks and Shares

Objective: Learn about stocks and shares.
Activities: Explain stocks using visuals. K-2: Sort pictures of businesses by share value. 3-5: Discuss share markets.
GSE Standards: SL.1.5, M.4.NF.3

Lesson 13: Understanding Dividends

Objective: Know how dividends work.
Activities: Create a dividend chart. K-2: Simple example. 3-5: Calculating dividends from fictional stocks.
GSE Standards: M.5.NF.3, W.3.2

Lesson 14: Investment Tracking

Objective: Track fictional investments using simple graphs.
Activities: Discuss tracking investments. K-2: Pie chart of investments. 3-5: Create line graphs for tracking.
GSE Standards: M.3.MD.2, G.4.MD.4

Lesson 15: Investment Simulation

Objective: Simulate investing in stocks.
Activities: Setup a stock simulation game. K-2: Choose stocks. 3-5: Track performance over time.
GSE Standards: M.4.NF.2, SL.5.4

STEM Builder’s Blueprint Challenge for Week 3:

Task: Create an investment tracker chart, including graphs.

Week 4: Insurance Careers

Lesson 16: The Role of Insurance

Objective: Understand what insurance is and why it's important.
Activities: Read Chapter 4 of Civic Square. Discuss the purpose of insurance. K-2: Draw pictures of things they would insure. 3-5: Write a paragraph on insurance benefits.
GSE Standards: SL.K.5, W.4.2

Lesson 17: Types of Insurance

Objective: Learn about various types of insurance (health, car, home).
Activities: Create categories of insurance. K-2: Sorting game with picture cards. 3-5: Research different types of insurance.
GSE Standards: W.3.7, SL.2.3

Lesson 18: Creating an Insurance Plan

Objective: Design an insurance plan for a fictional item.
Activities: Discuss principles of risk. K-2: Simple plan creation. 3-5: Develop a detailed insurance plan.
GSE Standards: W.4.3, M.3.MD.3

Lesson 19: Writing a Claim

Objective: Learn how to write an insurance claim.
Activities: Discuss claim examples. K-2: Fill out a simple claim form. 3-5: Draft a claim letter.
GSE Standards: W.5.2, W.2.4

Lesson 20: Insurance Presentation

Objective: Present their insurance plans.
Activities: Simulate an insurance presentation. K-2: Share their plan verbally. 3-5: Formal presentation to the class.
GSE Standards: SL.K.4, SL.5.5

STEM Builder’s Blueprint Challenge for Week 4:

Task: Create an insurance plan with a corresponding claim process.

Monthly Wrap-Up

At the end of the month, students will apply their knowledge and skills by role-playing as business owners, bank officers, investors, and insurance agents. They will showcase their city-building projects, reflect on real-world decision-making, and demonstrate their mastery of learned concepts through a final market showcase, civic simulation, or group presentation.

Conclusion

This course encourages students to engage in real-life business and finance concepts while developing essential academic skills through collaboration and creativity in a hands-on learning environment.