"A business is an organization which provides goods and services to meet the wants and needs of consumers, at a price customers are willing to pay, at a price producers are willing to sell."

In Exploring Business and Entrepreneurship, we investigate how different types of businesses approach this formula. We also look at how the six basic business functions support success in business.

7th grader scholars will also explore the Concept of Entrepreneurship. Basically: What does it take to start up a start-up?

Our classwork centers on projects. The students pick company cases, or make up a company to explore a particular idea.

Earlier this year, one of my classes came up with Hurricane Dorian inspired start-ups to help coastal consumers prepare for the storm. The other class invented companies to help them recover from storm damage.

One of the more entertaining projects, year in and year out, is the 'Famous Fail'. This is when students explain why a once-trendy product of days past quickly became popular – and just as quickly faded.

Students also pick Famous Entrepreneurs of their choice.

The most challenging project - this semester done before Winter Break - is a 'Shark Tank' style business proposal presented to the class. Each student picks a business idea, takes it through the five stages of the entrepreneurial process, and argues for why they deserve the (metaphorical) Sharks' investment money.