Teacher Orientation

DisclaimerThis project is rather intense and has a lot of

little working parts to it. It’s like that because I’m like that. I tend to complicate things. I like it that way. I have simplified this project to it’s simplest form in this power point, but know there are a lot of ways to expand it and make it better!

Objective:• To teach students marketing concepts through

a hands-on simulation. Students will create a product, calculate price, produce promotions, and place it in the marketplace for purchase by other students.

Overview• Students are placed in groups of 4 or 5, each with a “job” within that

group based on their personality type. – Jobs include President, Administrative Assistant, Designer,

Manufacturer and Salesman. • Each group designs and then creates badges using a badge machine. • Using an Excel spreadsheet, they keep track of production cost, profit,

losses, and promotions in their “business plan.” • Students go to the Market, setting up a table at the Media Center. Another

class purchases the badges from them using “money” they have earned in their class for good behavior. At my school, this is another CTE Intro class—that way, each student has the opportunity to be the producer in my rotation, and the consumer in another rotation.

• Each company then calculates their winnings based on their profit, and receives CTE KASH based on their success.

3 ways to sell• Students can sell their badges in 2 or 3 ways:– Selling the actual badge– Getting orders for future badges• Limited to 3 orders, made by me or my student aide,

delivered a day or two after the Market– Getting votes

• In this simplified version, I have dispensed with the votes, but it really is a great way to get more money and more disparity between how much each group makes.

Grading• Students are graded both on team assignments, and on

individual performance. Grades are NOT based on how much money they make in the simulation. Each member of the group gets a group grade on assignments like their poster, packet, and business plan. They then take a group evaluation where they evaluate themselves and each member of their group. These scores are added together to equal their individual grade. Students who miss large portions of the unit due to absences will feel the loss in their individual grade. I usually assign extra assignments in Print Shop to compensate for that loss.

Preparation• Before Day 1, there is a bit of prep that goes into it. First,

assign students into groups of 5. Each student in the group is assigned a job. I use the six personality types to determine this, giving them a personality quiz I created, http://www.quiztron.com/tests/cte_intro_personalit_quiz_144919.htm, and then giving them jobs accordingly. You can do it this way, or just assign them randomly.

• President – Thinker/Organizer/Persuader• Administrative Assistant – Organizer/Thinker/Helper• Designer – Creator/Helper• Manufacturer – Doer/Helper• Salesman – Persuader/Helper

Preparation• You will also need to print

the packets and have them ready to go. You can organize however works best for you, but I have a Tupperware box for each group, where they store their scissors, markers, and glue stick. I also have a Ziploc back for each group in each period, labeled, where they can put their completed badges.

 

Cooperating Class• This project requires a cooperating class. Our

4th Quarter CTE Intro teacher does this—he brings his kids each quarter to the Market. All our kids know they will get a chance to buy and sell—by 4th quarter, the kids I get are SO excited to finally get their turn! All the other teacher needs to do is hand out the fake money, and come to the 20-minute market on Day 8.  

CostItem Cost Description

Badge Machine $400.00 http://www.badgeaminit.com/

There are three sizes—1 ½, 2 ½, and 3 ½. I suggest you start with the middle, standard size. I use both the 1 and the 2 inch machine. This is for the mid-size model at badgeaminit.com. You can get cheaper ones, but for the volume, I suggest this model. I actually have two of each size—each year I have added one. But one machine will work.

Badge Parts $64.00 for 1000 OR$150 for 2,500http://www.usabuttons.com/

I order the parts from a different company, USA Buttons, because they are a LOT cheaper and my district has an account with them. As for how many to buy—take the number of students in your 7th grade class and multiply by 3. Then maybe add another couple hundred for good measure, or to make as rewards in your auction or whatever.

Circle Cutters $25.00 - $200.00 I suppose these aren’t an absolute necessity, but I highly recommend them. If you cut them out with scissors they don’t always fit the machine right and can come out badly. I get mine at Badge-a-Minut, but USA Buttons also offers some. I have never tried them so I don’t know if they fit the machines well or not.

Estimated Startup Cost: $550.00Estimated Yearly Cost: $150

Day 1 Know

Your Company

Day 1 – Know Your Company• Introduce groups, jobs, and

explain duties of each job• Show “Day 1” of power point,

going over money, grading, daily checklist, attendance, etc.

• Student will get to know the members of their group.

• Each “company” will choose a company name and slogan

• Team will create a logo, which the designer will create

• Turn in logo, print it, and glue it into page 2 of the packet

Day 1 – Know Your Company• If time allows, I will assign

seats and explain each job the day BEFORE Day 1. Usually on a makeup day or a short-day Friday. This isn’t required, but it gives them a lot more time to get the Day 1 activities finished.

Day 1 – Know Your CompanyI actually use Power Point to make the logos

because of a special feature they have there. Once the kids have pulled in their word art, shape, clipart, etc. they group it. Then they right click and choose “save as picture.” They save it as their group name. Now their logo is an actual .jpg file. They send the file to me digitally, and I put in student common so the whole group can access it for later assignments.

At the end of the unit I offer a $500 reward for best logo—I tell them this on Day 1 so they give me their best effort!

Day 2 Brainstorming

Day 2 - BrainstormOn Day 2, the students start to

brainstorm about what they want to do. They fill out the Design Brainstorm page, drawing their designs before making them. (Note that throughout the packet, there are symbols that indicate whose job each thing is!) After they have drawn some ideas, they are allowed to start creating their designs on the computer.

Day 2 - BrainstormI use Print Shop for designing badges, but

you could also use Publisher, Power Point, or Word if you don’t have Print Shop. Or, they could design them all by hand.

Students pull up a template in Print Shop that already has the circles in the right size. Having already taught them Print Shop on a previous day, it’s not so hard for them to create their badges, though I do go over it with them.

Make sure they know to leave a small margin around the edges of each design—the edges get tucked under when the badge is made, so things can get cut off.

Day 3 Design Approvals

• Usually on Day 3 or 4 I will demonstrate how to make a badge with the machine. I gather all the kids around me on the middle table and show them how. I have also done this on the Prep Day.

• A note about Day 3 – Because we have short Fridays, I usually plan it so that Day 3 is on Thursday AND Friday—that way they have more time to finish their designs.

Day 3 – Design Approvals

Day 3 – Design Approvals• As they design the badges, the President fills in the Business

Plan. This document was a great deal of work to put together—but it is versatile and can be changed to accommodate any changes.

• All the math is done automatically, and the sheet is protected.• The President records each design—it’s size, color, royalties,

etc. They choose a price for it and get their production cost.• This part is actually quite easy—the Presidents rarely have a

problem filling it out.• I will include a basic Business Plan, but also a few others that

have alterations for things you can add like votes, more promotion options, and other badge types.

Day 3 – Design Approvals• As they finish each design, they

print and give it to their manufacturer, who cuts it out and glues it on the Design Plan page in the packet. Then the salesman brings it to me for approval.

• I don’t approve it it’s inappropriate, badly designed, pixeled, too big, etc.

• If they need a second approval, they glue the new one on top of the old one.

Day 4 Design Completion

Day 4 – Design Completion• Finish all designs in Print Shop by the end of

the period.• All designs approved• Fill out Manufacturing page in packet• Print SIX copies of badges• Read “How to Make a Button” Power Point• If groups are ready, begin making badges

Day 4 – Design Completion• Finish all designs in Print Shop by the end of the period.• All designs approved• Fill out Manufacturing page in packet• Print SIX copies of badges• Read “How to Make a Button” Power Point• Introduce the Assembly Line and how badges are made• Ready groups put their name on the board.• If groups are ready, begin making badges• Groups waiting to make their badges may play games

Day 4 – Design Completion• All groups finish making their badges. I have them make their

badges in an assembly line.• Although I walk them through the first few badges, I leave and let

them go for it—I give them the chance of messing up. I want them to learn what it costs their company to have losses! The Admin Assistant records losses on the manufacturing page.

Salesman• Cuts out each

button

President•Prepares Button

parts in proper order.

Manufacturer•Creates each button

Designer• Inspects each badge•Places badge in bag

Designer•Tells salesman how

many to cut out•Checks off each

badge as completed•Records losses

Day 5 Manufacturing

Day 5• One thing I do is take pictures of their badges.

I have them put it on the wall and I snap a few shots. Then I put it in Student Common. The kids then use the pictures to create their posters. This is, of course, something you could cut out—I just like doing it that way!

Day 6 Promotions

Day 6 - Promotions• Day 6 is where things start to get crazy! If they finish

making their badges, I tell them to move on to the stuff for Day 6 regardless of what day it is. There’s a lot to do and there can be a lot of confusion.

• But, on page 3-5 there are step by step instructions that should help them stay on track.

• This area has the greatest room for change. In this version, I am presenting the simplest promotions I do. But I am always changing and adding to them.

Day 6 - Promotions• On Day 6 they start preparing their advertising and

promotions. The President fills in Step Two of the business plan.

• The Salesman will start the required 2-page Poster• As a group, the decide what promotions they will do.

They have to do at least one. There are four to choose from:– Button Displays– Table Decorations– Teaser Posters

Day 6 - Promotions• The poster is actually very simple—pictures of

each badge and their cost, their logo and slogan, and an explanation of their Giveaway or Raffle if they are doing one.

• I take pictures of each badge and make them available to the kids, but it’s not required. They could just cut out additional printouts of their badges and glue them on.

Day 6 - PromotionsButton Displays• In Step Two, they fill it out and have to “pay” if

they want to display their badges in any way. They bring stuff from home that will make their table look more attractive.

• I actually provide frames for them to rent—I have taken this out of the basic version of the Badge Builder, but it is a great option.

Day 6 - Promotions• Table Decorations –

Teams can choose to decorate their table to increase interest and sell faster. There is a small cost for this. They can bring all kinds of things to make their tables stand out!

Day 6 - Promotions• Teaser Poster – The

students make a “teaser” that shows just their logo, their badges, and their period. When done, they take it to the coopering teacher’s room and the kids there can get a sneak peek at what will be at the Market. It gets the other kids REALLY excited! This is a great thing for the groups who finish their badges first.

Day 6 - Promotions• The president

fills out the cost for these promotions on Step Two of the business plan.

Day 7 Advertising

Day 7• The President fills out the Are We Ready? Page to

make sure they have everything done for the next day.• Finish their posters. I provide the glue and poster

board, they just paste it on and put velcro on the back and stick it on the wall.

• I encourage the kids to bring extra stuff for the Market the next day to make their table stand out.

• Sometimes I will schedule an extra day between day 7 and day 8, just to make sure they have time to get stuff done. But I don’t always.

Day 7• Once their poster is

finished, they need to fill out the names of each badge on the cashiering sheet, which they will fill out in full tomorrow. I take the time to explain to them how to fill it out and what to expect the next day at the Market.

Day 8 The Market

Day 8• As the kids are coming in, I’m telling them to get their

poster, their badges, their packet, their stuff from home--anything else they’ve brought. As soon as the bell rings, we are off to the library.

• The Market actually doesn’t take long—I do it on our short Fridays and have ten minutes to spare!

• Have them set up in the library, each group at a table. Mr. Simpson comes in about 10 minutes after the bell. I instruct his kids on how to pay, how to use their vote tokens, and then let them have at it. The are SO STINKIN’ EXCITED.

Day 8• It takes about 20-30 minutes. The kids wander

around, frantically buying and ordering badges. • It’s loud. And they are having a total blast.• At the end, any unsold badges I KEEP. I put them in

a jar and use them as rewards in other classes or in the auction—otherwise they are motivated NOT to sell, in hopes that they get to keep their badges.

• If they order a badge, they pay for it right there. Then we make it later and deliver it.

Day 8• We head back to class. The kids put their posters up

on the wall by class. Sometimes I will award them that day with my Design Awards.– I have three design awards, and I created a ribbon for

each. They get extra money added on to their winnings.• Best Ad Design - $1000• Best Logo - $500• Best Table Design - $1000

– I have included the file for these ribbons in my resources.

Day 9 The Results

Day 9• I have the Presidents fill out Step Three in

their Business Plan, recording losses, what they sold, what was ordered. Then they send it to me digitally.

• This doesn’t take very long to do—it’s really nice if you can have them do it after the badge market on Day 8, so you can grade them before Day 9 the next day.

Day 9• I go over each one, fixing any errors (and taking points

as I go) until I have their final amount they made, which I keep track of on an Excel spreadsheet.

• While I’m doing this, the kids are doing several things:– Filling out the Evaluation—the last page of the packet—

together as a group– Preparing orders—printing out two copies of each order (in

case I mess up making it) and cutting them out, putting it in their bag and in their box

– Returning the Badge Bucks money from Simpson’s class and the votes by making a pile on my podium.

Day 9• I announce the results, and place 1st, 2nd and 3rd place

ribbons. I talk to them about why certain groups won, pointing out production cost or promotions or whatever.

• When I am adding it up, I put in their award money toward their total winnings. Penalties are if they did something wrong like having false advertising on their poster.

• We also do Step 4, where they create a graph. I demo how to do it, and then the President does it with the help of his group.

Day 9• The instructions for the

graph are explained on a tab in their business plan.

• This is another section that can easily be taken out if you run out of time or just don’t want to do it.

• I like it because it’s a great tie-in with Excel.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Group 8 $-

$2,000.00

$4,000.00

$6,000.00

$8,000.00

$10,000.00

$12,000.00

$14,000.00

$16,000.00

051015202530354045

Market Share

Amount MadeNumber Sold

Day 10 Group Evaluation

Day 10• This is a simple quick day, and only takes about

twenty minutes. You can let your kids have a break, start something new, or have them start the “What I learned” essay.

• Students go to Student Common and open up the Group Evaluation page in Excel. First I have them re-save it as their firstname, lastname. Then I have them fill out the names of each person in their group.

Day 10• Students answer the questions

about each person in their group, including themselves.

• Answer 0-4—it’s a pull down menu.

• They can add comments in gray box.

• I emphasize that they need to be honest—this is the only individual grade they get. Students who did less work shouldn’t get the same grade!

• When finished, they turn it in digitally to Rees Hand-in.

Day 10• The rest of the day is easy for them—we deliver the

badges that were ordered.• The kids got those orders ready on Day 9. 3 orders max

for each group. I usually just have my aide do it—they always LOVE making badges!

• I don’t like to have the kids do it because it just takes forever and class time I don’t have.

• So then the kids deliver them to Mr. Simpson’s class, reading the name of the kid who ordered it off their cashiering sheet that they filled out at the Market.

Day 10• After that, I let them play games. I have a lot of

numbers to enter for the group evaluation, and they’ve worked so hard, they earned it!

• Sometimes, I have them write a report on what they learned—and this has been a VERY successful assignment!

• While they play, I enter. I open each evaluation, go to sheet 3, and enter in the numbers onto my grading sheet. It only takes about 10 minutes to do each class.

Day 10• After that, I let them play games. I have a lot of

numbers to enter for the group evaluation, and they’ve worked so hard, they earned it!

• Sometimes, I have them write a report on what they learned—and this has been a VERY successful assignment!

• While they play, I enter. I open each evaluation, go to sheet 3, and enter in the numbers onto my grading sheet. It only takes about 10 minutes to do each class.

Enter names of each group

Enter numbers for each person from the Scoring sheet on each

evaluation.

In this column, type in the number of students in the group (4 or 5) to adjust the

math problem.

Enter how much each group made in

this column.

It will calculate and round up how much each

person made—if they score less than 80%, they will get that percentage

of money.

The Total Column is their final grade on the Group Evaluation to be entered

into Skyward

Enter bonuses for awards won or penalties for

cheating or selling loss badges, etc.

Day 10• The checks will

automatically be written on another sheet. You just enter the number spelled out if you want. Print, cut, and they are ready!

Grading• For the individual grade, I take the percentage

from column AM of the Group Evaluation Grading sheet and enter it as a 100 pt. assignment. Then I give it a weight of 2. It can really hurt their grade if they score badly on the evaluation.

• Students tend to be more “nice” than “mean” when grading. Occasionally I might adjust their score if I feel it was unfair in either direction. But usually, the evaluation is pretty accurate.

The Auction• On the day of the auction, I hand out their checks—

explaining that if they scored less than 80% on the Group Eval, their check was reduced. So if they got 70%, then they got 70% of their check.

• The kids “cash” them because I have each kid keep a check register, and they’ve been “depositing” cash all quarter long.

• Then, at the auction, the kids who made the most money have a distinct advantage! I try to give out bigger items in this auction. I also will auction off the badges that didn’t sell, or some that I’ve made myself.

• I also auction off three cards that, if purchased, allow them to make their own badge of whatever they want. Those cards sell really well!

I Told you it was complicated!!!!

Extras

Extras• It may be hard to believe, but yes, this is the

SIMPLIFIED version. I actually add a few things to it, changing it and improving it each quarter. This last section talks about those changes, and you are welcome to incorporate them or your own ideas into the base version.

• If you would like the files for any of these extras (packets, business plans) please contact me via email and I will send them to you!

Voting• One of the major things I took out was voting. I LOVE

this aspect, but it requires a bit of extra work. I have the kids fill out a voting preparation sheet by Day 6. This shows each badge and it’s number from their Business Plan. I then post it on the internet with a Google Doc.

• The cooperating class goes to the site and votes for their three favorites.

• I copy the results into a prepared Excel sheet which counts the votes for me, and print the page out for each group. These numbers are added on Step 3.

Voting• There are many ways

voting can be done other than this.

• The reason I like it is because now the number of sales can be higher than 15. It makes the variety of how much they can make much bigger.

Flyers• This is an extra promotion

that ties in with votes. The kids create 4 to a page flyers that they hand out. The customers take it back with them to look at when they are voting for their favorite badges.

• I have my kids do this in Print Shop as a greeting card.

Badge Types• Badge-a-Minut and USA Buttons have a lot of

other types of badges that can be made in your machine. I have done Magnet backs and Spinbacks. There are also keychains, mirror backs, bulldog pins, stickers, etc.

• The Magnets were great for lockers, but not as popular with the students as I anticipated.•The spinbacks are basically spinning tops. VERY popular but also more expensive as USA Buttons does not make them and I have to get them from Badge-a-Minut. But SOOO fun!

Photos of badges• I did not include this in my instructions, but I DO take

pictures of each badge for the student posters. As each group finishes, they put the badges on a specified place on my carpet wall, and I take pictures. Then I put those pictures in Student Common. Later the kids pull them up into Print Shop and crop them for their posters. This is certainly not required and is a bit more work, but to me it’s worth it.

Frames & Stands• I have actually created frames the

kids can “rent” and have also gotten little stands from Badge-a-Minut that they can rent as well.

• The kids love these and it can add a bit to the promotion side, helping them understand the importance of display.

• I bought my frames at framecloseouts.com, in their overstock—just picked the sizes I wanted and got whatever—saved me money and worked just great.

Giveaways• A giveaway is when the group makes an extra

badge that they give away at the Market in a drawing. Each person who buys from them enters the drawing, and at the end they may win a badge. I did this for the first two years but don’t do it anymore. Its still a really great promotion!

Raffles• A raffle is when the kids make or bring raffle

tickets that they sell for $1.00. Then they draw one out and they get a free badge. This is great because a lot of times the customers have extra money but not enough for a badge, and are more than happy to enter a raffle. The money is tacked on to their winnings.