In order to survive the business world in America, an understanding of the enterprise system is critical. Carthage High School’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter believes that it is important to teach kids about the business world, so they visited Steadley Elementary. The FBLA Leadership Team planned a three-day project for local fourth grade students. According to the local FBLA chapter President, Paige Cline, “American enterprise teaches the kids important concepts that they will use for the rest of their lives… hopefully. It gives them an interest in business early on.”
There are currently four fourth grade classes at Steadley. The FBLA members were split into two groups. One group was in charge of teaching marketing techniques in Mrs. Beck and Mrs. Cochran’s classes while the other group taught students how to make smart investments in Ms. Jones and Ms. Kelly’s classes.
After the lessons were taught, each group got started with their activities right away. The marketing class was split into groups of five and each had a leader from the FBLA chapter. They quickly chose a project to create and market. The choices were: monster bookmarks, colorful spinners, catapults, monkey pencil buddies, and a noise-making chicken.
While the marketing classes were creating their products, the buying classes were playing a monopoly game that Adam Theis and Marisol Alberto reinvigorated. This game taught the students how to make smart investments and create a budget. On the final day, the four classes merged together and the marketing classes sold their products to the investing classes in the “market”. This taught the marketing classes how to make a profit and show the investing classes what a smart buy looks like. The goal for the marketing classes was to make the most profit possible.
The winners in the two different classes were the “The Chickens” led by Mason Bryant and “Cactus Catapults” led by Taylor Snyder.
The project turned out to be a great success. One of the local FBLA goals was to promote future membership in the chapter. Many of the students said they had plans to join FBLA in the future.
