Lesson Plan - Teens in Charge!

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about teen entrepreneurs from an article and a video and then write a business plan.

Curriculum Connections

• Entrepreneurship

• Donations

• Licenses and Taxes

• Financial Literacy

• Manufacturing

• Time Management

• Marketing

• Inspiring Teens

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Study how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

• Use economic reasoning processes

• Understand civic ideals

English Language Arts:

• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary

• Integrate information presented in various formats

• Write for a task, purpose, and audience

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1

1. Preparing to Read

Build Knowledge and Vocabulary

Provide these questions for students to think about as they watch “Taking Care of Business”: What is Ava Dorsey’s business? How did she start it? Which of her pieces of advice do you think is most valuable? Why? Discuss responses. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms from the article.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to underline or highlight details that help answer the question at the beginning of the article.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How did Jungmin Kang start and build her company? What does she say was an advantage of being young? (Key Details)
Jungmin Kang started her company Snoopslimes in 2017, when she was 13, with $200 from her father. She started by making slime and selling it on Etsy and built a following on Instagram. After graduating from high school, Jungmin delayed college for a year to focus on her company. Now she’s the chief executive officer and has 40 employees. She says that being young helped her get started without worrying so much about potential risks.

• How do Ava Dorsey, Sebastian and Brandon Martinez, and Keith Griffith III help others? (Central Ideas)
Ava Dorsey gives back by donating part of her pet-treat company’s profits to animal charities and rescue groups. Sebastian and Brandon Martinez give back by donating 20 percent of their sock company’s revenue to charity. Keith Griffith III gives back by working to raise awareness about mental health issues.

• How does the sidebar “How to Start a Business” support the article? (Text Features)
The sidebar supports the article by detailing four steps for starting a business, including researching competitors and securing funding. It explains some of the work that the five featured entrepreneurs had to do to make their businesses successful.

3. Skill Building

Build a Business

Guide students to use the Skill Builder Plan Your Business to complete the Your Turn activity on page 9. The graphic organizer will help them brainstorm ideas, research competitors, determine a marketing strategy, consider financial basics, and set a goal.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Printable Lesson Plan

Interactive Slide Deck

Text-to-Speech