Choosing a Business Partner – Kid Style

By: Mary Kienstra on: February 4, 2017  in: #tlap, Engagement

There are times when students need to work together on a project for an extended period of time.  Sometimes those partnerships are just awkward.  You know how kids are – they are not always that excited about working with certain kids.  I think I found a way to make this situation a bit easier.  Make it like choosing a business partner.

I started by showing the kids a few different classified ads for companies looking to hire new employees.  We talked about what those ads had in common, such as looking for people who are hard workers, detail oriented, team players.

Then, I told the kids they should write a classified advertisement for a business partner for our stock market project.  In their ad, they include the attributes that they are looking for in a partner.  The listed all the regular things as well as sense of humor and fun to be work with.

In the end, I assigned the partners, but with the complete buy-in of the kids.  As the kids joined their new “business partner” for the stock market game simulation, they shared their classified ads and discussed their expectations.  These documents then became their contracts with their partners.  They each signed both copies and shook hands.  And the business partner were off to work.  Each day when we work on the stock market game, they group their desks into their “office” and get right to work.

And they are working very well together!