Mathematics with Business Applications

Competitive Events

Preparation for Competitive Events

FBLA and BPA are national organizations that promote business education for high school students. Each group sponsors competitive events designed to test students' skills, knowledge, and competence in specific fields, including business math.

Below are links to the FBLA and BPA where you can find detailed information about the organizations and the competitive events they offer.

FBLA Future Business Leaders of America
http://www.fbla-pbl.org/

BPA Business Professionals of America
http://www.bpa.org/

The DECA Virtual Business Challenge

DECA is the association for students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship. It offers a comprehensive program of competitive events based on the occupational goals of its student membership and on the activities of chapters in high schools and postsecondary institutions. Competitive events offered by DECA Inc. are replicated at the state or provincial association level as well as at the chapter level.

http://www.deca.org/ceoverview.html

The DECA Virtual Business Challenge (VBC) is an official competitive event. It is free to enter, easy to use, and offers a free limited function version of the Virtual Business classroom software program.

http://www.knowledgematters.com/vbc/dvbc/dvbchowtoplay.php

Preparation for Capstone Project

What is a Capstone Project? Why Should My Students Participate?

Helping Students Choose a Topic

Helping Students Find a Mentor

The Paper

The Presentation

The Project

What is a Capstone Project? Why Should My Students Participate?

Over the past decade, major changes have taken place in the world. The American economy has shifted from an industrialized one to an information and technology driven one. We now live in a global marketplace and compete with people from around the world. As educators, what can we do to prepare our students to generate, retrieve, manage and synthesize information for productive purposes? The Capstone Project is one tool we can use to help students make decisions and solve problems based on research they have generated. It is a performance-based activity that encourages students to be creative and showcase what they can do, not just what they know.

The Capstone Project allows students to select a topic of his or her choosing, conduct research on that topic, write a research paper, create a product related to that topic, become involved with a mentor from the field, and present orally their findings to a panel of business and community members. Through the project, students have an opportunity to explore new areas of interest and stretch their ability beyond what they might have imagined. Many students report that the Capstone Project was the most rewarding and rigorous experience they have ever had while in high school.

As instructors, you will find the experience equally rewarding and rigorous. Your role will be that of a facilitator — guiding the students through their research and projects. You will watch your students become confident, articulate and knowledgeable about subjects you never dreamed they would be interested in investigating. The Capstone Project is an engaging activity that both you and your students will find to be challenging and energizing.

Helping Students Choose a Topic

Choosing the topic for the Capstone Project is the most important step in entire process. Students will not only research and write a paper, but they will have to create a project that correlates to the topic. As your students begin to brainstorm potential topics, help them think through these questions:

• Can I think of something I want to do, learn, see, create, experience, repair, or build? What am I curious about?
• Am I really interested in this topic? Am I ready to live and breathe it for the entire semester?
• Are there enough resources available? Are there business and community members available to serve as mentors in the field I have chosen?
• Can a project or product be created from this topic? Will I be able to share it with an audience effectively?
• Does the topic offer a "stretch?" Does it allow me to expand my knowledge, think critically, and synthesize all that I have researched?
• Does the topic allow an opportunity to peek into a career field that I might be interested in exploring?

As the students use the above questions to brainstorm, ask them to write down every topic that comes into their minds. Provide some examples to help them see the connection between the topic, the project, and the career focus.

Helping Students Find a Mentor

"Mentoring is so important to success because it can broaden your horizons and introduce you to a new world." — Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Medalist.

One key aspect of the Capstone Project is the mentor. Each student is required to find a mentor and work with that person during the course of the Capstone Project. The mentor should be someone in the field the student is researching and be willing to work at least 15 hours with the student. As an instructor, you might need to help the students find a mentor. Professional or trade associations, friends, parents, advisory committee members, or other community leaders will provide a pool of people to contact. Remind the students to begin the search process early.

Some successful examples of student/mentor relationships include:

• An attorney served as a mentor for a student who was about to purchase his first car. The attorney reviewed the purchase contract before the student signed it and offered advice on financing the car.
• An intellectual property attorney served as a subject matter expert for a student who created a brochure on patent law.
• A police officer allowed a student to job shadow her for six weeks. The job shadowing experience included riding in the patrol car while the officer was on duty.
• A small business attorney mentored a student through the development of a business plan for a business the student was interested in starting.

The relationship that develops between the student and the mentor is one the student will probably never forget. The mentor serves as a coach and role model for the student. He or she is another adult that provides expertise and nurturing through the entire Capstone Project process. Often the mentor allows a student to look at his or her selected topic from a different viewpoint.

When the Capstone Project is over, encourage the students to write a thank you letter to their mentors. Some schools thank their mentors with a special breakfast or celebration activity. A small token of appreciation (paperweight, coffee mug, pen, etc.) can be presented to each mentor.

The Paper

The Capstone Project Paper is much more than a term paper. It is an opportunity for students to hone their research and writing skills. By writing this paper, students learn to not only find information and understand it, but to apply and analyze it where appropriate. A variety of resources must be used including magazines, illustrations, tables, maps, newspaper articles and professional journals. The Internet can give access to many sources of information; however students often need help evaluating what they find as to its accuracy and authenticity.

Interviews with people in the field are another excellent source of information. Students usually don’t have much experience interviewing someone in a professional environment, so help them prepare with the following suggestions:

• Before the interview, research the individual’s position and where they work.
• Prepare 10 questions that reflect the purpose and research needed.
• When making the appointment for the interview, ask for 15 minutes of time. Be prepared to stay for an hour.
• Dress professionally for the interview. Arrive a few minutes early.
• Ask permission before using a tape recorder.
• Thank the person and write a follow-up thank you letter.
• After the interview, make a list of any additional resources that can be utilized.

The Capstone Project Paper can be one of two types. The first type is a report on a specific topic. For example, the student might write about the founding fathers’ inspiration as they wrote the constitution. This type of paper is a compilation of the student’s research. The second type is an analysis paper. In this paper, the student interprets his or her research and draws a conclusion about it. For example, students might research the homeless and write an analysis paper about how and why crimes are committed against the homeless.

The length of the paper may depend on the topic. Generally, the Capstone Project Paper is about 10 word-processed pages, not including the title page and bibliography. The paper should follow the style (MLA, APA) that your school or district requires.

The Presentation

The presentation is the finale of the Capstone Project. It is both a reflection of the work the student has done as well as a synthesis of all of the learning and experiences that have occurred. Each student presents a speech of eight to ten minutes before a panel of community members who are considered experts in the field. This speech, along with appropriate visual aids (posters, PowerPoint presentation, short demonstration of the project, etc.) is followed by a five-minute question and answer period. The presentation describes what has been learned, the type of research conducted, the project, the experience with the mentor, and a self-evaluation of what was learned from the total project. Students should dress professionally for their presentations.

As an instructor, your role will be to recruit community members to serve on the panel. This can be an arduous task because it will require time and dedication on the part of the panel members. However, experience has shown that once someone serves on a panel they will want to continue serving in the years ahead. The community members will become goodwill ambassadors for your students and your school because they will be very impressed with the work your students have accomplished! Contact professional associations, community groups, parents, PTAs, advisory committees, district office administrators, and business leaders for possible panel members. Start the process early.

The presentation is usually the first time a student has had to speak in front of a panel of adults. Speaking in front of others is a skill that is critical in today’s workplace, but most people need practice to become successful making oral presentations. The Capstone Project Presentation provides an opportunity for students to acquire another valuable skill for their future.

The Project

What differentiates the Capstone Project from most other high school requirements is the project itself. The project allows the students to apply their research to a real and meaningful activity. The project should be a "learning stretch" requiring the student to try something new. As an instructor, you will be amazed at the projects your students create. They will be as diverse and unique as they are. Listed below are some examples of projects related to business and personal law.

• A student wanted to learn more about starting a business. Her project was to write a business plan including a section about financing and marketing the business. Her business law teacher asked her to also include information about the laws regarding starting and owning a business. One of her mentors was an attorney who specialized in small business ownership.
• One student wanted to research the federal court system. His project was to create a board game that could be used when teaching middle school students about the court system. His mentors included a local constitutional attorney and a middle school teacher.
• A student was ready to buy his first car. He determined the amount of money he had to spend. He researched the types of cars available. His project was actually buying the car. His business law teacher asked him to incorporate research about the laws that impact the buying and selling of a car. His mentors included an attorney and his automotive technology instructor from school.

The Capstone Project should be conducted outside of school. The mentor must be part of the project and in some cases students may have more than one mentor. Each student must complete a log documenting the process including the actual time spent on the project, and the feelings, emotions, successes and failures along the way. A portfolio that includes the process, the research, and pictures of the project as it progressed should be part of the final project.