 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Purchase DVD or VHS |
Most WIDE ANGLE episodes may be purchased for educational and non-theatric use, and occasionally for home video use from Films Media Group.
Go
|
|
| PBS TeacherSource |
Visit PBS TeacherSource to find 3,000+ free lesson plans and activities.
Go
|
|
|
|
|
Inside this section:
Prep for Teachers |
Introductory Activity
Learning Activities |
Culminating Activity
Cross Curricular Extensions
Prep for Teachers
Prior to teaching, bookmark all of the Web sites used in the lesson and create a Microsoft Word document with all of the Web sites as hyperlinks for the students to access the sites. Make sure that your computer and the computer the students will be using have the necessary media players to play any video clips. These are Shockwave, Real Video, and Quicktime. Cue any videotapes to the segment(s) you plan on using to support your lesson. When using media, provide students with a focus for media interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.
Introductory Activity
- Concept Web
This activity is meant to focus students' attention on the topic at hand. It also will help you assess students' background knowledge. On a flip chart, write the word "entrepreneur." Ask students what words and ideas they associate with that word. Chart their responses. Be sure to point out, if students do not mention it, that risk is associated with entrepreneurial ventures and ask them to identify some kinds of risks.
Learning Activities
- What Helps, What Hurts
Introduce the program "Pickles, Inc.," explaining that it shows the efforts of some very unusual and unexpected entrepreneurs-a group of Israeli Arab widows. Ask students, as they watch, to take note of the things that help the women in their efforts and the things that act as barriers to their success. Student Organizer #1 has space for students to make notes - explain that they should indicate a minimum of three observations for each category.
- Show the entire one-hour documentary. When the video is over, have students form small groups to compare notes. Then have the small groups report out to the whole class. Points for discussion include:
- What observations were most often noted?
- In which category were more items listed?
- How did being female and being widowed affect the women?
- Follow by discussing the program using the discussion questions on Student Organizer #2. For answers to the questions use Student Organizer #2 - Teacher Copy.
- Service Project: Raising Funds for Cooperatives
The documentary shows the attempt by a group of women to start a cooperative business venture. There are numerous organizations that are helping women around the world to develop businesses that will give them a means to live, autonomy, and status. Information about four of these organizations can be found at the following Web sites:
As class work or homework, ask students to browse these sites to find out about the work these four organizations are doing, what their needs are for funding, and which projects students find most engaging. Student Organizer #3 can help students organize their ideas.
- When students have looked at the sites, decide as a class on one or two projects that the students will undertake to support the work of those organizations. For instance, the Global Partners site notes that "$500 buys a cow and a future for a family" and provides a way to donate online. Other sites offer similar opportunities.
- Students can then break into small groups to come up with fundraising ideas, using Student Organizer #4. Allow 10-15 minutes; then have groups report out to the class. The whole class can then decide on which fundraising activities to carry out and organize themselves accordingly to reach the goals of supporting that organization.
Culminating Activity: Business Plan
- Students can work in pairs or small groups of 4-5 to come up with ideas for a small business, choose one, and develop a business plan. Student Organizer #5 can help to guide them.
Point out that before groups start to work, they need to think about how they will work. For example they will need to decide how decisions will be made. By vote? By consensus? In consensus, everyone has to be willing to accept a particular outcome, though it may not be everyone's first choice. For more on consensus, see the UHC Collective Web site.
Also review brainstorming procedures with students. Rules for brainstorming:
- Come up with as many ideas as possible.
- Write down every idea.
- No idea is too wild. It's more productive to be wild than timid.
- There is to be no judging or evaluating of any ideas until all ideas are out on the table.
The following Web sites may be helpful to students:
- When students have completed their business plans, groups can present to the class for critiquing.
Cross Curricular Extensions
- Students can make pickles. Recipes can be found by writing "pickles" in the Search field at www.epicurious.com.
- Students can research and report on women's and other cooperatives in the U.S. and Canada.
- Students can explore financial management software such as Quickbooks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
