Help Out - Grade 4
- Download Gr 4 Help Out Brief Overview
- Download Gr 4 Help Out National Curriculum Statement
- Download Business Ventures Brochure
- Download SAIE OBE GR2-12 Overview
What is Achieved?
This programme develops in learners familiarity and comfort with business concepts and skills.
Theme
Learners follow the story of Bambelela and his 7 mentors who show the value of entrepreneurial questioning.
Learning Context
Seven animal mentors – Rhino, Giraffe, Monkey, Buffalo, Elephant, Lion and Owl – guide learners to help 32 entrepreneurs with their business dilemmas.
Lesson Plan Process
In groups learners read fivestep work cards. Each step applies a different kind of question to the entrepreneur’s dilemma.
What is Achieved?
This programme develops in learners familiarity and comfort with numbers, money and some basic business ideas and skills.
Theme
Learners follow the adventures of Moola (an entrepreneurial monkey) and Bob (his magical, flying bank note).
Learning Context
Learners follow the adventures of Moola and Bob as they meet 24 entrepreneurs with different kinds of business problems.
Lesson Plan Process
The educator reads and the guide directs educator to involve a range of activities related to the stories, and other props.
Introducing Help Out
Help Out! begins with a story called Bambelela Learns to Question. This is the rags-to-riches story of a farm boy who learns to question and think like the wise animals he meets: Rhino, Giraffe, Elephant, Buffalo, Monkey, Lion and Owl. Bambelela uses this wisdom not only to escape his own poverty, but to carry on his shoulders, through an African Renaissance, the whole land of Kwatshani.
At the heart of Help Out! are the stories of 32 entrepreneurs who
live and work in the fictional world of Kwatshani. Each of them faces a unique business problem such as becoming a better seller, getting to know customers, keeping up with competitors or reaching the right people.
As learners encounter the stories, struggles and triumphs of these entrepreneurs we challenge them to understand each business problem and to think of ideas to “help out”.
In this way they begin to develop their skills and their mind-maps for many concepts ranging from selling and customer research to innovation and distribution. They do this not by reading dry and stale descriptions of a grey business world, but by interacting with a rainbow-coloured community of energetic entrepreneurs.
Business problem-solving process
The seven legendary animals of Kwatshani are the mentors who guide learners as they encounter each new entrepreneur during the course of Help Out! These mentors introduce a business problem-solving process that nonetheless applies equally well to mathematics, science and even literary composition. In addition, the animal mentors represent different styles of thinking.
Each animal brings a special focus to (or casts a different light on) the business problem. The animals’ thinking styles and the recurring questions they ask enable learners to see the problem from several different perspectives.
Help Out! challenges grade four students to solve simple problems involving a wide range of skills and concepts in Economic and Management Sciences....
A. Understanding
The near-sighted Rhino helps learners to examine the
details of the entrepreneur’s problem.The long-necked Giraffe encourages students to see the big picture or wider context of the entrepreneur’s
problem.
B. Planning
The mischievous Monkey helps learners to think creatively to find a solution to the entrepreneur’s problem.
The Buffaloes guide learners to explore who can help to solve the problem.
- The wise Elephant helps students to draw on their personal experience to solve the problem.
C. Action
- The energetic Lion helps learners to advise the entrepreneur what action to take to solve the problem.
D. Reflection
- The cautious Owl encourages learners to assess and
double-check** their work.
At the centre of each exercise is an entrepreneur with a problem, e.g. Malu, the “middle-man” below, needs help fi nding a business idea.
