Freshman Seminar 3 & 4 April 18-Week of April 27

AIM: How does the film "Freedom Writers" inspire us?

Do Now: Do you think you write well? On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest/best and 1 being the lowest) RATE YOURSELF (on writing ability). Explain, in one complete paragraph.

"Freedom Writers" will be shown.

We will complete watching it during the week we return from the Spring Break.

QUIZ on the film:

1. What is hthe main idea?

2. How were the students behaving before they met their new teacher?
Why did they behave that way?

3. What got them to write? What inspired them?
What in thefilm inspired you to write or not write?

4. Who is the character you most identify with, and why?

5. Who is the character you least like, and why?

Freshman Seminar

Thursday, April 17, 2008
Ms. Kirshner – Freshman Seminar, periods 3 & 4

AIM: How will we know how much money we will need to start our businesses?

DO NOW: How much money do you think you will need to start your business “right”?
Explain. (For example, motivate with -- where will you need to spend, and on what?)


Go over the Do Now question and student responses with them with “scribe” on board/paper and have them copy down the responses. Direct them next to the B-Idea Slide of the 5 slide page of the packet we started yesterday. We completed the top two slides yesterday. If not completed you must do so.

If students ask why is the slide (4) the same as the DO NOW question, tell them that it is SO IMPORTANT that is why I must make sure they answer the question and put it on the sheet itself. While the “scribe” is upfront, WALK AROUND AND CHECK THEIR WORK and answer questions and help them individually. Have them share their responses in a Share-out with the scribe in front.

Direct them to also complete the slide about Competition, slide 3, since we covered Competition previously and they know all about it and can complete that slide easily now.

Last 5 minutes of class: 10:33 p. 3 and 11:24 p.4 direct students to summarize. How did you decide on the answer you gave about how much money you will need to start your business?

HOMEWORK: Yesterday’s homework was to prepare a presentation about your new business idea, how you came up with the idea and what the product or service is and how you will advertise/promote it and why people will want it vs. something else.

You will continue to develop the presentation. Tonight research the costs online of advertisements, the costs of advertising with a full page, half and quarter page ads in the New York Times, in People Magazine, and in local publications, like the free Metro news, local papers and other publications like the School Newspaper. Research online, also how much it costs to advertise with a banner ad on a website. How much would it cost to photocopy 5000 fliers at Staples or OfficeMax? These are things you can do by asking and going online to find out. If you don’t have the Internet at home, go online in the library, NYC Public Library or the school library. DO Advertising cost research and bring in your results tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 16

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Ms. Kirshner – Freshman Seminar periods 3, 4

AIM: How will we present our business ideas and convince people we should win the competition?

DO NOW: How will people learn about your business? Explain.

How will you and where will you advertise it? How much money do you think you will need to promote your new business?


Key questions: Why would you want to promote your new business? How might you do it? Where do you believe you will most effective with your advertisements? What type of advertisements? Will you use the Internet? Will you have an Internet site? Will you have links to other sites? Where would it be most effective? Will you use direct mail? What is “direct mail”? What about Telemarketing?

We will review the responses to the do now in class.

We will receive the business plan worksheets and complete slide one and two and share our responses.



HOMEWORK: Prepare a presentation to present your new business idea. Make sure to mention.You will be presenting tomorrow, your new business idea, your reason for creatiing it, and how it will be targeted to consumers, your marketplace and target market, and your strategies for promotion/advertising. Use PowerPoint if you can.

Send work and questions to me for credit and responses at ProfessorKLK@aol.com. It is for exclusive MBHS student communications.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Freshman Seminar

TOPIC: Competition and Competitive Advantage

AIM: How can your business get a competitive advantage over other businesses?

DO NOW: Describe you product or service and explain why consumers would want it.

LP: Motivation: How many of you have ever been involved in a sports or other type of competition to win over other people, where you had to compete and beat the others? Discuss. This leads into review of Do Now responses and putting them on the board on sheets on large sheets of paper.

New Vocabulary to define: Competitive Advantage, Competition

Students will complete a page of the business plan for page 7 (related to Chapter8 in text) Students list competitors, price, location, and quality, and then competitive advantage listing reasons why customers will purchase product their product or service vs. that of their competitor's.

Students are reminded that the lowest price is not sustainable as a competitive advantage.

Homework: Yesterday's homework is due, which is a drawing of the product and a listing or description of the product features. If it is a service, then someone using the service is drawn and the services and their benefits to consumers are listed or described.

Homework tonight: How much money will you charge for each individual product or service? Set up a chart and identify what they are, and list the prices you will charge for each, and in a separate column list next to it the cost to you in labor hired, materials purchased and used, hours, and labor costs. You do not have to include overhead costs for the facility at this time.


TOMORROW: We will begin preparing for presentations of our business ideas and products/services to Mr. Melkonian for a Thursday start date! We will complete new additional worksheets starting tomorrow. Remember, your business plan is your roadmap to success!

Friday, April 11, 2008 Career Day

Friday, April 11, 2008

Ms. Kirshner, MBA, MS - Freshman Seminar

AIM: What will we learn about a career in Business Planning and Management from our guest speaker today?

DO NOW: . Write down three more GREAT questions to ask Mr. Usby about a career in the business planning and management field.


Homework: Write a thank you letter to Mr. Usby, answering all three of the following questions within the letter:
1. What did you learn today?
2. How can you use the knowledge and information you gained in your own life?
3. Did the presentation change your way of thinking about careers available to you after high school?

Students should be reminded if not in seat assigned or changed by Ms. Kirshner, student will be marked absent and parent contacted to explain why you are being marked absent.

Students must have notebooks and must be out with pen/pencil out. Being unprepared results in a zero and failure. Don’t throw away a chance to succeed.

Students should go to site via google: http://mskirshnerclassroom.blogspot.com/

Email should be sent to teacher at ProfessorKLK@aol.com

Thursday, April 10, 2008

AIM: How can we prepare for "Career Day" tomorrow?

DO NOW: List 3 words that come to mind when you hear the words "Career Day". Why did you select those words? Explain.

LP: Tomorrow is Career Day.
1. Why is it important to have one?

2. Freshman Seminar will have Mr. Usbay visiting. He is an Associate in a business planning and management company.




3. What do you think a business and planning management company does?



4.Why do you think that?



5. What product or services do you think he provides? Who benefits?



6.Who is his target market?



7. How might you be affected by a visit from an executive at a business and planning management company?




8. What advice would you want the speaker to give you?




9 & 10. Come up with at least two really good questions that you can ask the presenter tomorrow, about the career in management.



You cannot ask about his salary, nor about his personal life. You cannot ask what his salary is, but you can ask what a starting salary is in the same business field. You can ask about the use of technology in the business, and about what is required to study before getting into the profession, for example. Come up with two of your own questions now.


Note: Five minutes before class ends, students will SUMMARIZE in one paragraph the answer to the AIM.

Wedenes., April 9, 2008 LP

AIM: Students will identify their targeted consumers for their product(s) or service(s).

DO NOW: Who will you provide your product (s) or service (s) to" Why do you feel that group will want your product (or service)? Explain.

We will review the question and your responses and put responses on the board. Students are required to write them down in their notebooks.

We will examine the business plan of other students from the past using the overhead projector and laptop.

Students to be asked to define and write down definitions (with scribe writing on chart paper for the class):

Consumer

Market

Market segment - a group of consumers who have a similar response to a particular type of marketing

Target market

Market analysis

Consumer analysis


7 minutes before end of period (p. 3 10:33; period 4: 11:22) - - students are directed to summarize.... In their notebooks,
Students must write a summary and answer the following question:

How did you choose who you will market your product (s) or service(s) to? Again, who are your targeted consumers?

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 "BE PREPARED NOTICE"

The Business Plan "packet" which students received a few weeks ago and were told to place in a notebook folder or secure location in notebook, to be accessed daily, must be brought to school with you complete notebook and folder EVERY DAY. There are no exceptions. Notebook checks are done, as was done yesterday again. Your notebook grade is part of your total grade. When you fail to produce your work and your notebook is missing items, you get a failing grade on the notebook that day, which counts against you in the term grade. It is a requirement of this class! You must have your pen, pencil, notebook, folder, and any work to hand in, daily, NO EXEPTIONS. There is no excuse for not bringing it to class. No excuse is acceptable. BE PREPARED and ON TIME to class or accept the consequence (TAKING THE CLASS OVER AND OVER AGAIN).

You will be competing with other students and schools in a new business contest next month. You must have your NEW BUSINESS PLAN completed and ready to present before that time. You have received the "packets"and I will distribute business plan sheets which you will write on, as we work on the business plan preparation in class. You have had many meetings with your "partners" over the phone, by e-mail and in class, about your new business. You came up with the idea, the product or service, the purpose, the targeted market(s) and the name of your business, and much more, including the legal structure of organization and the officers of the business and their functions. Now you must complete the business plan, but this time it is YOUR BUSINESS individually. You are working ALONE. There is no room for "goofing off" as the responsibility is in your hands and the deadline is fast approaching. Don't say, "I didn't know" or " I lost it" or "I was out when that happened"....Those are lame excuses and will not fly. IT IS TIME TO RISE TO THE OCCASION AND COMPETE TO WIN!

The 10 Things YOU Need to Know About Running YOUR Small Business

10 Things Every Teen Needs To Know About Running A Small Business

Spirit, Mind, and Physical Health (Eat right, sleep, exercise, friends, family, community, and always do the right thing).

The Joy Of Business Opportunity / Recognition (Students should love business).

Economics of One Unit (You can’t do your break even, your competitive advantage, comparative advantage, your Return On Investment, without knowing this key component).

Don’t Compete, CREATE; Learn Your Comparitive Advantage.

Master Basic Marketing (Place yourself in your customers’ mind – Listen. The bottom line of your business is your customer).

Learn To Give Back To Your Community – Leadership (Business in itself is always pro-community).

Master Financial Statements (ROI and Breakeven for example. Students really need to know about this. Don’t get discouraged. Spend more time on this).

Learn How To Do A Basic Sales Call (The differences between features and benefits should be explained. Don’t do too much talking, listen and allow the customer to talk. You shouldn’t do too much talking on a sales call).

Learn How To Do A Basic Business Plan

Understand the Rule of 72 and how it helps You to Invest.

Monday, April 7, 2008

I am back, but not fully recovered. This is what is planned for today and tomorrow.

Monday, April 7, 2008- April 8, 2008

Ms. Kirshner

AIM: Students will learn what's involved in successful professional sales

DO NOW: Come up with at least five excellent and practical (not personal) questions that you think Ms. Kirshner should ask this class, with the intention determining what the students accomplished over the past week (when Ms. Kirshner was out sick).

LP: Topic - Principles of Successful Selling (Chapter 21 in Textbook…pp. 272-281)

Key Question: How do I make a sale in a professional way?

1. Begin with a recall of the biography of Ray Kroc (McDonald's) whose beginnings were in sales.

Q1: What did Ray Kroc sell during his lifetime, before he took over McDonald's?

Q2: What did we discover about why he was successful at sales?

Q3: What do you think a successful sales professional must do to sell products or services?

Q4: What special skills, talents, knowledge are required to be a good at selling?

Q5: Do you have those skills and talents now? Have you ever sold anything for a group or organization? Describe and explain.

Q6: Do you think you'd be good as a professional salesperson? Why or why not?

Next, Discuss with students (Ideally pair students to discuss, but it depends on behavior in class).

Focus: Textbooks distributed. "Examine product features." Define with students and put on word wall / board: "Product features"

CHALLENGE ACTIVITY -- Q: Ask students to list as many features of the NFTE textbook as they can. Then, review and discuss. Brainstorming and put features on board as they say them, give their initials. One point bonus per suggestion again. Have Student monitor write down the suggestions and names of the responsible parties for the bonus points.

Homework: Meet with your business partners on the phone or by email today and prepare make sure you have completed your group's business plan (Intermediate Module packet) that was distributed to you to keep in your notebook/folder). Together you must complete the sections for for the technology, legal structure, business communications, and selling One member of your team, is designated to prepare the copy to submit to Ms. Kirshner. Make sure you type and make copies of your completed portions of the business plan and submit one copy toMs. Kirshner. It is due Wednesday at the latest. It cannot be postponed. You can send your typed group copy with all your names on it and the product and company name to Ms. Kirshner at ProfessorKLK@aol.com.