Unit Summary
What makes someone an entrepreneur? What makes them stand out from the rest? This unit takes students through the process of exploring the keys to successful entrepreneurs. They analyse and evaluate the specific characteristics of entrepreneurs that distinguish them from others in the economy. Then students create an entrepreneur wiki, sharing their findings and explorations. With the mindset of entrepreneurship, students map out the basic decision to develop a business plan for their school canteen day.

Curriculum-Framing Questions 

• Essential Question
  How can individuals make a difference?
• Unit Questions
  What makes an entrepreneur successful?
  How do entrepreneurs plan a business?
• Content Questions
  What are the characteristics of an entrepreneur?
  How do entrepreneurs obtain support?

Assessment Processes
View how a variety of student-centred assessments are used in the Entrepreneur: Jump-start your Success Unit Plan. These assessments help students and teachers to set goals; monitor students’ progress; provide feedback; assess thinking, processes, performance, products and reflect on learning throughout the learning cycle.

Instructional Procedures
Kick-starting the Unit
Begin the unit by conducting a Think-Pair-Share activity to help students organize prior knowledge. Engage students to write down their own ideas using the Think-Pair-Share sheet (DOC 35.0KB) on one of the following topics:

• How do you come up with new ideas?
• How do you make things better?
• How do you use various resources in different ways?

Have students form pairs to discuss their thoughts about the topic. Encourage volunteer pairs to share their discussion with the class. Ask students to jot down newly learned answers and additional responses for future references.

Present the Essential Question: How can individuals make a difference? Hold a class discussion focusing on this question and how it relates to their responses to the Think-Pair-Share activity.  Have students keep a record in their journals.

Who are the Entrepreneurs?
Introduce the concept of entrepreneurship using the teacher presentation (PPT 715KB). Ask students whether they agree with the statement, “Entrepreneurs are businessmen but not all businessmen are entrepreneurs”. Discuss with students the concept of businessmen and entrepreneurs. Students are required to justify their choice and use a T-chart (DOC 33.0KB) to compare the characteristics of businessmen and entrepreneurs.

Get students to think about the Unit Question: What makes an entrepreneur successful? Elicit students’ answers around this question and ask them to give examples of successful entrepreneurs in Malaysia. For example, Dato’ Tony Fernandes of AirAsia Berhad is recognized as a cutting-edge entrepreneur in the low-cost airline. Have students read the life story of Noor Arfa Batik* and examine the specific characteristics of the entrepreneur. Ask students to demonstrate their understanding by creating a mind map (JPG 31.9KB) using bubbl.us* on the specific characteristics. Assess students’ understanding by looking at their mind maps. Provide additional instructions if necessary.

Tell students they are going to carry out a study on the project of Entrepreneur: Jump-start Your Success. They have to explore the keys to successful entrepreneurs. Have students choose and conduct an interview with a local entrepreneur. Their task is to analyse and evaluate the specific characteristics of the entrepreneur that make him or her stand out from the crowd. Then they have to create an entrepreneur wiki sharing their findings and explorations. With the mindset of entrepreneurship, students map out the basic decisions to develop a business plan for their school canteen day. Provide students the self-direction checklist (DOC 47.5KB) to help them plan, monitor and learn from this project experience.

Interviewing the Entrepreneur: Road to Success
Ask students to visit the Interview Toolkit Web Site* to learn the tips and tricks for planning and conducting interviews with their chosen entrepreneur. Inform students that the purpose of the interview is to collect information on the success story of the entrepreneur. Hold discussion on what the students would like to ask. Look at the Entrepreneur Interview* for more resources to guide students in preparing the interview questions. Make sure students cover aspects such as background information, entrepreneurial venture, and challenges. Tell students to listen carefully and make notes during the interview.

Sharing on Entrepreneur Wiki
After the interview, have students discuss and compile the information collected. Guide students as they analyse and interpret their findings. Have students create an entrepreneur wiki* sharing their findings and explorations with others. Remind students that their wiki has to address the Unit Question: What makes an entrepreneur successful? and reflects the specific characteristics of entrepreneurs. Challenge students to make the wiki which is to serve as a “Road to Success” discovery for those who have dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Provide a wiki rubric (DOC 35.5KB) to help students assess the wiki as they work on them.

Creating and Presenting Business Plan
Prior to beginning this portion of the project, use the online entrepreneurial self-evaluation form* to assist students gain a better self-understanding.  Tell students not to be discouraged by the test result as the test only aims to help them resolve the potential roadblocks. Explain to students that they have to develop a business plan for the school canteen day with the mindset of entrepreneurship.

Have students brainstorm on the Unit Question: How do entrepreneurs plan a business? Ask students to think about the necessary steps in planning a business. For example, identifying an opportunity is one of the crucial steps.  Tell students that they have to find out the unmet needs of the canteen day that they could address through a new product or service. Ask students to consider the following questions:

• What resources do you need?
• How do you obtain support?
• What risks do you have to overcome?

Encourage students to refer to the internet for more resources to develop their business plan. Encourage them to refer to the Online Tutorial* that offers help/suggestions for entrepreneurs starting their own business.

Have students present their business plan in a slideshow presentation (DOC 509.0KB). Tell students to use the scoring guide (DOC 34.0KB) to help them create a high-quality business plan. Guide and provide necessary support to every group. Ask the groups to provide peer feedback on the draft slideshow presentations using the same scoring guide (DOC 34.0KB). Have students refine their slideshow presentation if necessary.

Provide sufficient time for students to practise their presentations in small groups before they present their business plan to the “school authority” for approval.

Canteen Day
After the business plan is approved, involve students in organizing the school canteen day and invite parents and community members to join in the event. Allow time for students to prepare and set up their business stall. Have parents and community members choose the most creative and innovative business stall.

Reflection
Have students refer to the responses to the Essential Question: How can individuals make a difference? that they have answered on the first day. Ask them to write their reflection in the journals.

Prerequisite Skills

• Basic knowledge on business and entrepreneurship
• Fundamental skills of basic computer operations and Internet research
• Ability to use word processing, presentation and web application
• Students may need mini-lessons on wiki 

Differentiated Instruction
Resource Student

• Allow more time as needed
• Provide a list of vocabulary words and definitions of entrepreneur characteristics
• Demonstrate the use of web application to create mind map    

Gifted Student

• Encourage broader and deeper research by requiring the students to study entrepreneurs in different countries
• Have students develop a complete set of business plan 

Credits
This project idea has been developed by Normah Bt. Mansor, Badrol Hisham B. Noh and Noryate Bt. Muda. A team of educators expanded the plan into the example you see here.