McCordsville Elementary School fourth-grade students had a chance to plan their own business during a recent class project.
Students could work alone or in pairs or groups of three, and their task was to come up with a business plan and pitch it to the teachers, similar to the TV show “Shark Tank.”
“We talk about entrepreneurship and budgeting money and things like that,” fourth-grade teacher Dan Keeler said. “They come up with a business plan and it kind of helps them guide their way through the rest of the project. They turn it into us, and from that point, they start building their product. Then, they bring their prototype to class and show it and then also come up with a pitch.
“That is also part of their whole presentation to the teacher, or the ‘sharks.’”
Fifth-grade students who completed the project last year then narrowed the projects down to the top 10, and teachers then narrowed the projects down to the top five. The remaining groups then created a promotional video for the product and had to present it to the teachers in front of the entire school. Each group received a $25 gift card.
Some of the winning ideas include a bean bag chair with a cup holder, a personalized Chapstick holder, a magnetic checkers board, a board game and a box for pets that included items such as food and water dispensers, toys, leashes and more.
This was the fifth year for the project.
