Expanding the Business: Writing an Argument

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Name: Business and Entrepreneurial Principles

  Program Name: Business Management and Analysis 8301100

  Course Number: 8215120

  Course Type: Career Preparatory

  CIP Number: 0552070110

  Career Cluster: Business Management and Administration

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks:

  18.04 Compose and create business communication appropriate for specific audiences.

  16.02 Draft, revise, and edit written documents using current grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Should the Business Expand?” See CPALMS resource ID# 207927.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will develop and apply the skills of appropriate business communication, organizing information for others and decision-making.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Compose a business communication email to argue for or against business expansion.
  • Use multiple sources to justify claims in an argument.
  • Provide and accept peer feedback on a written argument.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Writing to persuade.
  • Elaboration techniques in writing.
  • Qualities of professional business communication.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How should business owners communicate professionally through email?
  • What factors are most important when arguing for or against a business expansion?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, ask students, “What working qualities would you value the most in job position?” Some examples would be flexibility, pay, hours, weekends free, quality benefits, likeable coworkers, etc. Using the Work Qualities handout shown on a document camera, add ideas that students come up with.
     • Provide students with the opportunity to Internet research working qualities. Have students work in pairs to find and discuss at least two sources of information on valuable working qualities.
     • Using the Work Qualities handout (see attachments) shown on a document camera, add ideas that students researched.
  2. Then, in elimination style rounds, take class votes, and narrow down the options to two or three, essentially finding the top (2-3) working qualities that the class finds most valuable.
     • Alternatively, list student ideas on the board and cross them out as they are eliminated.
  3. Provide students with a copy of the case study, “Should the Business Expand?” (see CPALMS resource ID #207927). Read the case study together or independently. See Teacher Notes for approaches to reading options.
     • Take an initial class poll on whether the business should expand or not.
     • Have the class consider the initial Work Qualities that were found to be the most valuable amongst the group. Ask students to share how a business expansion might impact these top values.
  4. Provide students with the Additional Case Information, which includes the results of a staff survey and projected earnings/costs of the expansion.
     • Explain to students that the survey results and the expansion projections can be considered credible in this situation. To be free from bias, Leisure Foods hired Biz, Inc., a local business management company, to conduct an internal audit on the costs and to survey the staff.
     • Additional Case Information is also located on slides 2 and 3 of the attached Should the Business Expand PPT. Teachers can choose to use the PPT or provide students with the handout.
  5. Tell students to pretend that they are one of the co-owners, Jim or Pete. Explain that Ed has asked for their input into the expansion. Instruct students to compose a formal, business email to Ed arguing their position. Responses should include a reasoned, logical argument supported by evidence and using at least one elaborative technique, with the intention of convincing Ed to accept their argument.
  6. Display the Should the Business Expand PPT. The PPT recaps the Additional Case Information, provides the writing objective and examples of elaborative techniques.
     • Review the guidelines for the argument writing presented on the PPT.
       • The email should be at least 2-3 paragraphs in length.
       • Argument should include at least 2-3 reasons, presented in a logical manner.
       • Reasoning should be supported by evidence.
       • Include at least one elaborative technique.
       • Follow professional email etiquette and writing guidelines for communication, spelling and grammar.
     • Review proper email etiquette, including adding a professional salutation, proofreading, avoiding emojis and text writing, including a closing, and adding a professional signature.
     • Review slide 5 to discuss various elaborative techniques.
  7. Set a timer for five minutes and ensure that students plan their writing before starting. Remind students to choose their argument, plan at least 2-3 reasons for their argument, and decide which elaborative technique they will use.
  8. Allow students the remaining time to begin composing their argument. Observe student writing, provide assistance as needed, and prompt student writing using the guiding questions.
  9. To bring the lesson to a close, have students share their email with a peer. Using the Peer Review Argumentative Writing handout (see attachments), students will complete a review of the peer’s written email. Students can revise their emails as needed before submitting their final draft.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Students can create their business communication emails using student computers and post on a learning management system, as available, to share with peers.
  • Some strategies for reading the case study include asking students underline or highlight important information, encouraging students to summarize each paragraph in the margin, or have students develop a set of questions generated from the case study to discuss.
  • Explain to students that in this case study situation, it can be assumed that the information gathered from Biz Inc., can be considered free of errors and bias. In real-world situations, students would need to evaluate sources for credibility.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • Teachers can use the peer reviews as a formative assessment.

  Summative Assessment Ideas:

  • Teachers can use the final draft of student writing to assess business communication and argumentative writing.

  Accommodation Suggestions:

  • Provide students with a template for writing as needed.