Dragons Den Lesson Sequence & Planning

(Grade 8)
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How can students design a marketable and useful
product?

OBJECTIVE: Students will learn how to develop and nurture their entrepreneurial
spirit by coming up with a business idea and advance it by developing a business
plan, which will be pitched to an audience of dragons at the end of the term.

Key Learner Outcomes from the Alberta Program of Studies (CTF)

1. I explore my interests and passions while making personal connections to career
possibilities.
2. I use occupational area skills, knowledge and technologies.
3. I follow safety requirements associated with occupational areas and related
technologies.
4. I demonstrate environmental stewardship associated with occupational areas.
5. I plan in response to challenges.
6. I make decisions in response to challenges.
7. I adapt to change and unexpected events.
8. I solve problems in response to challenges.
9. I create products, performances or services in response to challenges.
10. I appraise the skills, knowledge and technologies used to respond to
challenges.
11. I communicate my learning.
12. I determine how my actions affect learning.
13. I develop skills that support effective relationships.
14. I collaborate to achieve common goals.

OCCUPATIONAL AREAS: Enterprise and Innovation, Marketing and Management,

Financial Management

Description and Rationale: The Dragons Den where aspiring youth pitch their
business concepts and products to a panel of experts in various fields. It takes
teamwork, creativity, perseverance and many other qualities to persuade
members of the panel to endorse a potentially feasible entrepreneurial project.

It is an activity to enable students to reflect, create and present an entrepreneurial

idea. Students can work in pairs or a group.
a) Prepare students with project ideas in the classroom and outside the classroom.
b) Accompany students in their understanding of an entrepreneurial project.
c) Provide students with the time and the resources to do market research, work on
a business plan and to present it to a panel of dragons.
d) Identify criteria to evaluate entrepreneurial projects.
CBE Stems for Assessment:
1. Explores interests and skills in the design of approaches to challenges.
2. Creates a product, performance or service in response to challenges.
3. Appraises process, product and personal contribution in response to
challenges.
4. Communicates and demonstrates knowledge and skills in response to
challenges.

OTHER LEARNER CONSIDERATIONS:

Class activities in business groups for team collaboration and guidance on
understanding topics
Bringing in resources so students can make real-life connections with
entrepreneurs in the community who have started a business
Receive feedback from students on topics of interest in business and develop
appropriate lessons that address these interests and make them applicable
to their business idea
Make real-life connections to career possibilities
Develop individualized activities that address diverse learning styles

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
Teacher observation
Peer feedback
Participation
One-on-One conversations
Self-assessment (reflection)

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
See rubric below
GRADE 8 DRAGONS DEN GRADING RUBRIC

Criteria/Gra Excellent (4) Good (3) Fair (2) Poor (1)

de Level
Outstanding Product/service Product/service Product/service
evidence of displays evidence displays little does not display
originality and of some evidence of any originality.
Creativity uniqueness of originality and originality; would Requires more
product/service. creativity. benefit from development and
and Shows obvious Displays further lacks a prototype.
Innovation thought and competitive development. High similarity to
attention to potential into a Moderate similarity competitors.
detail; creative market. to competitors.
and inventive.
Presentation is Presentation is Presentation is Presentation lacks
coherent, coherent, coherent, but coherence,
convincing, and structured, and lacks structure structure, and is
well-structured. generally and not persuasive.
Keeps purpose and persuasive. persuasiveness. Does not take
audience in mind. Keeps purpose and Requires more purpose or
Presenters are well- audience in mind. thought to audience into
prepared and Presenters are, for purpose and consideration.
Presentatio organized. the most part, audience. Presenters are
n Responds to prepared and Presenters lack disorganized and
questions with organized. organization and not prepared.
confidence; very Can respond to preparation. Cannot respond to
informed on all questions; Lacks confidence questions at all;
levels of business. informed only on when responding completely
basic aspects of to questions; uninformed on
their business. uninformed on business.
how business
runs.
Plan is complete, Plan is complete Plan is incomplete Plan is incomplete
Business detailed, and but lacks detail but there is some and unorganized;
Plan polished. and polishing. flow. does not flow.
(refer to Includes a thorough Addresses most of Includes the main Missing several
handout for completion of all the elements elements but elements required
requirements elements required required for would benefit for Business Plan.
for Business Plan. Business Plan. from further detail
)
and development.
Participatio Student can Student Student somewhat Student does not
n communicate communicates communicates communicate
understanding by understanding of understanding of understanding of
applying their topics and can topics but topics and cannot
knowledge of apply their struggles with apply their
topics discussed knowledge for the applying their knowledge.
in class. most part. knowledge. Does not
Participates in class Participates in class Sometimes participate in
activities and activities and participates in class activities or
collaborates collaborates with class activities, collaborate with
effectively with others. does not always others.
others. Completes most of collaborate well Does not complete
Completes required the required with others. required tasks.
tasks. tasks. Completes about Does not make use
Uses work periods Uses most work half the required of work periods.
efficiently and periods efficiently tasks.
effectively. an effectively. Does not make use
of work periods
 effectively.
Student Student Student Student
demonstrates an demonstrates a demonstrates an demonstrates an
insightful self- meaningful self- appropriate self- ineffective self-
reflection. reflection. reflection. reflection.
Reflection Incorporates an in- Incorporates a Incorporates a Understanding of
depth considerable partial learning process
understanding of understanding of understanding of is undeveloped.
learning process. learning process. learning process.
DRAGONS DEN CONDENSED UNIT PLAN (2017)

Lesso Objective
n Date
Jan 31 Introduction of basic concepts with business, specifically
entrepreneurship and innovation. Why start a business? What
qualities do successful entrepreneurs possess? Students will be
focusing on idea generation in groups and will do a solo
assignment on their own business idea.
Feb 2 Class will begin with group discussion on solo business ideas from
last class. Students will then be introduced to basic marketing
concepts: What is marketing? What is a market? What is
marketed? They will explore further entrepreneurial opportunities
including technological, social/demographic, economic,
political/regulatory change.
Feb 7 Students will familiarize themselves with what a target market is
and define the target market for their Dragons Den business
idea. They will also analyze effective marketing strategies that
companies use to promote their products/services and apply
those strategies.
Feb 9 Students will deepen their understanding of what an industry
competitive analysis is by completing a group activity on a
company and bringing their ideas together as a class. Business
image will be refined, and students will have the remainder of the
class to work on their business plans.
Feb 14 Work period for students to work on business plans.
Feb 21 Review Operations Management and roles in Human Resources.
Students will delegate management roles and responsibilities in
running their business. They will also develop a list of skills and
qualifications for future employees that they would hire, and
examples of interview questions to ask.
Feb 23 Work period for students to work on business plans.
Feb 28 Introduction of Financial Management in business. Students will
learn basic concepts involving simplified financial statements
such as balance sheets, income statements, break-even analysis
and cash flow statements. Other topics to discuss include start-up
costs in running a business, sources (and social sources) of
capital, and encouraging investors.
Mar 2 Work period for students to work on business plans. *Calgary
Flames visit in the afternoon TBA.
Mar 7 Review basics of Dragons Den. Watch a few clips of pitches done
on the show and determine factors of what makes a good/bad
pitch. They will analyze these entrepreneurs strengths and
weaknesses and apply it to their own pitch.
Mar 9 Work period for students to work on business plans.
Mar 14 Visit and presentation with Tricia & Tony Nguyen Entrepreneur
Duo.
Mar 16 Dragons Den presentations students will pitch their business
idea and business plans to a panel of experts/dragons.
Mar 21 Dragons Den presentations students will pitch their business
idea and business plans to a panel of experts/dragons. Once the
presentations are over, students will

DRAGONS DEN LESSON SEQUENCE

Lesson #1: Introduction to
Entrepreneurship Tuesday January 31, Time Allotted: 56 mins
2017
Students will be introduced to basic concepts around
Objective
entrepreneurship and innovation.
1. I explore my interests and passions while making personal
connections to career possibilities.
Learning 2. I use occupational area skills, knowledge and technologies.
Outcome 11. I communicate my learning.
s 12. I determine how my actions affect learning.
13. I develop skills that support effective relationships.
14. I collaborate to achieve common goals.
Resource Intro to Entrepreneurship PPT
s& Sticky notes
Materials My Business Idea handout
Needed
Learning 1. Outline expectations and ground rules for the class.
Activities a. For the rest of this term, youre going to put yourself
/ in a position as a business professional. This means
Lesson treating others as your colleagues working towards a
Plan common goal.
b. There will be a lot of group collaboration this means
respecting everyones ideas and opinions.
c. Collaboration with others to achieve a common goal,
sharing ideas and experiences, complimentary traits
with group members, constructive criticism,
Networking, build confidence, etc.
d. Chicago mix popcorn
2. Define what an entrepreneur is. (slides 2-4)
3. Using the sticky notes, take a minute to write down some
of your best qualities.
a. Turn to your group members and write down what
you think are some of their best qualities.
b. Now circle what sort of qualities you and your group
members possess that apply to business.
c. Turn to your group members and share the qualities
 you circled for yourself and for each group member.
d. Do you balance out?
e. Take a few minutes for each group to share their
qualities ingredients to make the perfect dish.
4. Move onto slide 6-8 Qualities of an Entrepreneur
5. Why Start a Business? Gather ideas from the class.
a. Its not about what you know, its about who you
know.
6. Slide What is Something Youve Always Wanted to Invent
or Improve?
a. Have students share their ideas with the class and
write them on the whiteboard.
b. Share some of my own ideas with the class.
7. Short inspirational video.
8. Small group activity Improving an Idea
9. Distribute handout and explain activity for next class. Have
students complete the handout by the beginning of next
class.
10. Allow students to work on the handout or continue
working on business plan in groups for the remainder of the
class.
Assessme Pre-Assessment of background knowledge
nt Formative Assessment: Feedback, Group Discussion

Notes
Lesson #2: Introduction of Marketing Time Allotted: 56 mins
Concepts
Thursday February 2, 2017
Objective Students will be introduced to the basic fundamentals of
marketing a business and what it involves.
Learning 1. I explore my interests and passions while making personal
Outcome connections to career possibilities.
s 2. I use occupational area skills, knowledge and technologies.
9. I create products, performances or services in response to
challenges.
10. I appraise the skills, knowledge and technologies used to
respond to challenges.
11. I communicate my learning.
14. I collaborate to achieve common goals.
Resource My Business Idea handout
s Exit slips
& Marketing 101 PPT
Materials
Needed
Learning 1. Have students sit around in a circle (adjust the desks) and
Activities share their business ideas from last class.
/ a. Why did you choose this idea?
Lesson b. Does anyone in the class see value in this product or
Plan service?
c. Suggestions for improvement?
2. Define what Marketing is.
a. What is a Market?
b. What is Marketed?
c. What is social marketing?
d. Who benefits from marketing?
3. Discovering needs and wants.
a. Have students briefly share examples of each and
discuss their examples in more depth for
understanding.
4. In-depth discussion of Entrepreneurial Activities. Students
will be asked to find examples of each opportunity.
a. Technological
b. Social/Demographic
c. Economic
d. Political/Regulatory
5. Distribute exit slips for the class and have students move
chairs back to the original set up.
Assessme Formative Assessment: Feedback, Group Discussion
nt Monitor students who have completed the handout for todays
class.
Notes