Introduction to the Marketplace

Course Description

This course provides students with an overview of the nature and function of business. Various topics such as money, banking, credit, budgeting, insurance, advertising, investments, e-commerce and career exploration are included. Students gain an awareness of the business environment and current business events. This class is primarily meant to be for Freshmen/ Sophomores and by any student continuing into the Entrepreneurship and Marketing 1 / 2 class.

DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITY!!

Students enrolled in Introduction to the Marketplace will have the opportunity to earn three college credits simultaneously to earning their high school credit. This is made available through the Rio Salado Community College system and the credits are transferable to most colleges nationwide.

Be sure to contact Mrs. Shea for further information!

INTERESTING UNITS COVERED DURING THE YEAR

Students learn many lessons from The Apprentice for the real world and for the boardroom. From how to start a business to how to stay ahead of the competition; from managing a team to managing their time. They will be able to see relevancy in what they’ve learned during the semester and apply their newly acquired knowledge into a fun-filled, ever-challenging project presented in a boardroom to actual business executives within the Pinnacle community. Students will learn leadership, marketing, sales and management skills as they work within a team environment creating a project and bringing it to market.

What would you do if you had $100,000 to invest in the Stock Market?

Through the Stock Market Game Competition, students strive to create the best-performing stock portfolio using a live 10-week trading simulation via laptop computers in the classroom. They work together in teams, developing leadership, organization, negotiation, and cooperation skills.

In building their stock portfolio:

$ Students research and evaluate companies

$ Make financial decisions based on what they’ve learned

$ Determine why certain stocks perform the way they do

$ Why the broader market has moved up or down,

$ They understand how the economy works.

$ Finally, they present their findings in interactive power point presentations.

Students who participate in the program gain confidence and build self-esteem. They have fun! What students gain from The Stock Market Game program is a remarkable experience—and even more important, an education for life!

Virtual Business, a simulation video game allows students to participate in real life business situations by managing a distribution business. They will engage in resume & employee selection, employee opinions, supervision, strikes, unions & collective bargaining, productivity and efficiency, risk management, forms of business ownership, etc.

“Is Walmart Good for America?” provides a provocative examination of the impact Walmart has had on the U.S. Economy. Students will learn speaking skills and participate in a heated debate on a variety of the controversial topics connected to this timely subject; such as outsourcing, big box stores, employee benefits and predatory pricing strategies.

Toastmasters provides an opportunity for students to become effective communicators and leaders through weekly exercises in which they present both rehearsed and impromptu speeches to their peers. This allows students to develop better public speaking skills and to analyze areas in which they could improve.