Teaching Entrepreneurship in 4th through 8th Grade

First, let’s dispel the notion that teaching entrepreneurship is about teaching students to run a business. Yes, running a business is associated with entrepreneurship, but we are shorting ourselves and our students if we allow that to be the driving goal—instead, we should encourage our students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

When we develop an entrepreneurial mindset, we become unlimited—yes, we can start a business and be successful. We can also work for a corporation and experience success. We can find success in our relationships, our intellectual growth, our spiritual journey, and in every area of life. This is because the entrepreneurial mindset is focused on transformation.

And this transformation is not specific to high school age students. Teaching this mindset in earlier grades is not only incredibly gratifying, but it is often easier. When I travel to schools for professional development, I encourage all grade level teachers to attend as the principles and techniques are just as applicable to kindergarteners as high school seniors.

Here are some ideas culled from our experience in teaching entrepreneurship to younger students (and a huge thank you to my friend and colleague Zachary Anderson for his help in charting the path with many of these ideas):

1. The shoe design unit – imagine Nike has contacted your students to submit their design for a brand-new line of shoes. What will they look like—emphasizing form or function? How will they be branded—what is the marketing plan for the shoes? Students form groups to collaborate on this project.

2. The prototype for problem solving – students build the tallest possible tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows that can withstand winds (we are recommending using a floor fan instead of the leaf blower that Zachary used in his class). After the project, have the students reflect on what worked and what didn’t and then allow them to re-build (wisdom doesn’t come from experience but rather from evaluated experience).

3. The opportunity box – people who think like entrepreneurs see problems as opportunities just waiting to be solved. Take a shoebox and re-purpose it as an “opportunity box” and collect as many “opportunities” as possible before determining which ones to solve.

4. Your First Sale – students need opportunities to sell, and this can come from either a product or a service. We begin by helping students identify the problem they are solving, the customer they are solving it for, and the overall value that the solution provides. From there, they make their first sale and then it is off to the races!

My mission is to develop the entrepreneurial mindset in all learners, so they are radically transformed to impact their lives—this means constantly workshop new methods to engage students around developing a growth mindset, increased grit, ability to redefine failure, and opportunity seeking perspective.

Reach out to connect to learn more about our developed curriculum for schools, our coaching opportunities, and our in-person professional development.

Let’s Go!

5th grade students selling pet rocks during an entrepreneurship marketplace event

‍

Onsite Professional Development at Your School

Interested in engaging and meaningful professional development for administrators and teachers to implement the entrepreneurial mindset in practical ways at every level of learning and across all disciplines?

Available as one or two-day option with extensive training and resources provided.

Reach out to Learn More