Sample Lesson

Our Region® Activity Five: Supplemental Activity
In Activity Five, students play a game that illustrates the flow of money in and out of a business. This game is not always effective as a teaching tool, so the following activity can serve as an alternative. Your teacher can advise you as to the best approach.

In the alternative activity, students learn how to calculate profit and loss. They also learn the importance of marketing in a competitive field.

Key Learning Objectives

• understand the importance of cash flow to businesses.
• calculate profit and loss.
• understand the importance of marketing

Hand out the little car erasers. Identify what types of resources are needed to make erasers. Explain that the erasers cost $5.00 a piece.

Break the students into groups of 4 or 5. Explain that each group needs to come up with a commercial to promote their product. They can raise or lower the price. Remind them that they want to make a profit and they have several competing companies that sell the same erasers. If they are having trouble give them some ideas such as: specials, 2 for 1, coupons with purchase, warranty, customer service, free shipping, etc.

Have each group act out their commercial to the class and then vote on whose was the most creative and also made the most financial sense.