Break Out - Grade 9
- Download Gr 9 Break Out Brief Overview
- Download Gr 9 Break Out National Curriculum Statement
- Download Business Ventures Brochure
- Download SAIE OBE GR2-12 Overview
What is Achieved?
This programme develops entrepreneurial initiative by challenging learners to plan and implement six micro ventures.
Theme
Learners solve business problems for 20 entrepreneurs, and explore ways to turn their own interests into micro ventures.
Learning Context
Learners debate and brainstorm solutions to business problems. They also compete in groups to plan and start-up six micro ventures over the course of the year.
Lesson Plan Process
When planning their ventures, learners follow a ten-step process: Objective; Options; Is it Doable?; Resources; Money; Tasks; Breaking Even; People; Report; Tasks.
Introducing Break Out
Break Out introduces to grade nine learners a simple but powerful idea: creating and running a business venture of their own is a form of self-expression. Whether learners are passionate about music or mechanics, the great outdoors or the worldwide web, they will ?nd limitless possibilities for self-expression in the world of commerce.
Fun Work Cards
Each Break Out work card challenges learners to engage in entrepreneurial activities based on one of six themes: entertainment; the home; innovations; music; outdoors; and writing. As learners make progress through the course they encounter a range of entrepreneurship concepts such as becoming a better seller, getting to know customers, keeping up with competitors, managing cash or making a pro?t. Learners are challenged to prepare their ventures in class, do some research at home, evaluate their progress the following week then go out and
put their plans into action.
Business Advisors
In addition to the six venture projects Break Out also includes more than 20 work cards that challenge learners to play the role of business advisors. Each of these work cards introduces an entrepreneur with a dilemma.
These work cards challenge groups of
learners to research, explore and debate the dilemma, and to brainstorm suggestions and solutions which they are then required to report to the entrepreneur. In this way, learners approach all the concepts and skills prescribed in the National Curriculum Statement for Economic and Management Sciences from the perspective of an entrepreneur facing day-to-day business challenges.
Venture Projects
Each Break Out venture project takes three weeks to complete. During the ?rst lesson learners begin planning then go out and do research. During the second lesson (the following week) they “take stock” of their progress, continue their planning then put their plans into action. During their third lesson learners use a set of tailor-made Team Talk cards which help them to “unpack” their experiences. This is action learning at its best. By re?ecting on their real-life experiences, learners conceptualise the knowledge they have gained through action.
Venture Reports
Break Out guides students to think entrepreneurially. Each week the work cards challenge learners to put into action the ideas they have discovered and developed in class.
At the end of each venture project they are required to write a short report describing their mini business ventures.
Idea Bank
To help learners identify business opportunities and ideas, Break Out includes an Idea Bank. This chart shows learners how they can turn their interests into money-making ventures through one of three means: by making and selling new products; by buying and reselling existing products; or by offering a service. Sort Out also includes an Idea Bank.
