Irene McCormack Catholic College
Course Description
This course is designed for students considering a selection of ATAR Economics, Geography, Modern History and Political & Legal Studies in Year 11 and 12. It will further provide students with the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge of the Social Sciences, particularly in Economics and Politics and Law.
This course will focus on preparing students for the study of Economics and Politics and Law in Year 11. The Course will be taught with one period a week being dedicated to the study of law and two periods a week to the study of Economics.
Students will study Law with a focus on legal principles. Students would also study the Economic principles of demand & supply, business management and business ethics. This study involves students in a practical application of business management through the Just Start It Program.
The “Just Start It” program which is 20 week program, has been endorsed by SCASA to equate to 5 points toward Year 12. The Students receive a Certificate of Completion.
Students create and collate a physical and digital portfolio of their business.
Every classroom is awarded a trained industry start up mentor who visits their class for an hour per week and introduces the theme of the week.
Every school conducts an internal pitch as part of the program with at least one team per school invited to partake in our semi-final pitch round.
Just Start IT runs a Gala Event every year where the top 10 teams get to compete from around Australia
YEAR 10 COMMERCE PROGRAM
Lesson Description / Evidence Collection
Term 1
Week 1 /
  1. Introduction to Just Start It
  2. Introduction to Mentor
  3. Introduction to teacher
  4. Introduction to “To Do Lists” & project management via Trello Boards or paper and stickies or The Project Management Suite
  5. Get everyone onto myEd
  6. Technology Disrupts and Enables
  7. Set up a folder on your computer to collect all reports and research and homework.
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) /
  1. In teams make a list of 10 industries where technology has been a disruptor and enabler, list why.
  2. Choose an organisation other than Uber and write a 500 word report on who they are and how they have utilised technology in a truly disruptive way to enable their end user.
  3. Go onto the Kickstarter website, and list which idea you would invest in and why.
  4. Set up a folder on your computer to collect all reports and research conducted on this project. Name the project folder Just Start IT, and then as you collect evidence name the evidence under the titles listed in the lesson title blocks – eg: Technology Disrupts and Enables
Just Start It program is the basis of Semester 1 so all resources and materials are provided by the group.
Week 2 /
  1. Forming Teams made up of Hackers, Hawkers & Hipsters
  2. Taking Ownership of your role
  3. Writing up your job description
  4. Creating Terms & Conditions of your organisation
  5. Creating a Company Motto
The ways businesses organise themselves to improve productivity (e.g. provision of training, investment in applications of technology, use of just-in-time inventory systems) (ACHEK054) / Teams should be made up of 6 and each team member must create a report on the following:
  1. Students to ensure that the team they form is made up of the necessary mix of talents – discuss in report who has taken on which role and why.
  2. Your role title;
  3. Definition of your role, why you think the role will suit you;
  4. Create a job description for yourself, including the things you want to do, are good at doing, and the things you feel you can improve on;
  5. Choose a team name;
  6. Write up your company terms and conditions.
  7. Create a company motto
Intro to Myed quests – programme run by Just Start It. Students complete quests every week to be submitted to the teacher for marking. (40% weighting).
Week 3 /
  1. Intro to start ups
  2. Lean methodology
  3. Start Up terms – lets create a Glossary
  4. What is Kickstarter and why should we use it
  5. Problems and where we find them.
  6. Let’s watch lots of Kickstarter Videos and talk about the problem each video addresses, who the early adopters are, and whether the problem is big enough with a big enough audience.
Ways that businesses respond to improved economic conditions (e.g. increasing their research and development funding to create innovative products, adjusting marketing strategies to expand their market share) (ACHEK054) /
  1. Individually go onto Kickstarter and pick 3 products you would purchase. Write up a paragraph on why you would purchase the product, what problem it is solving for you and others, and who the audience / early adopter would be for this product.
  2. Start thinking about problems. Individually.Create a list of at least 3 problems that you are aware of that are pretty big, and being experienced by a pretty large audience of people in a pretty bad way. List them for next class.
HW: Students complete wk3 quest.
Week 4 /
  1. Let’s discuss the problems you have brought to class
  2. Sustainable Development Goals
  3. Becoming the United Nations
  4. Watching lots of big world problem videos
The causes and likely consequences of environmental change being investigated (ACHGK073) /
  1. In teams pick two or three world problems that have touched your heart. Create a presentation table stating why you have picked this problem, which people are experiencing this problem most, how people are suffering this problem, and whether current solutions are effective or not.
HW: Students complete wk4 quest.
Week 5 /
  1. Presentations & picking problems to work on
  2. The importance of Validation
  3. Let’s watch the Scooter Guy Video
  4. Assumption Board
  5. Creating & sending out surveys
The ways businesses organise themselves to improve productivity (e.g. provision of training, investment in applications of technology, use of just-in-time inventory systems) (ACHEK054) /
  1. Individually create an assumption board of problems: Create 4 columns. Colum one Assumed problem. Column 2 Assumed Early Adopter. Column 3 Assumed Current Solutions you are aware of.
  2. AS a team, choose one problem you would most like to tackle and state why you have chosen this problem to work on.
  3. Create a survey for the said early adopters to validate the problem (copy on file)
  4. Create a validation board for chosen problem; (copy on file)
  5. Send survey out on Survey Monkey/ Facebook or in any other creative manner (answers and evidence to be saved on file)
  6. Conduct qualitative surveys (answers and evidence to be saved on file)
  7. Conduct focus group (minutes of meetings to be kept).
HW: Students complete wk5 quest.
Week 6 /
  1. Validation or Pivot
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) / Examine survey results and build your case:
  1. Let’s discuss our survey results
  2. Let’s look for patterns in the data
  3. Present results in a report
  4. End of report decides whether you have validated adequately or whether you need further validation or whether you need to pivot.
  5. State why validation is important and define the term pivot.
  6. Research time:
  • Hackers research and report on disruptive technology currently being used by competitors to optimise their business;
  • Hawkers research and report on your competitors – what do they do? What do they do well? What don’t they do? What do they do badly?
  • Hipsters research and report on how your competitors are marketing themselves currently? Who are their early adopters? How do they reach those early adopters? How are they making noise about their product? How do they drive traffic to their site, or into their store?
  • Your findings are to be reported on anduploaded to myED in a report / story/ news article / VLOG / Blog / Table / excel spreadsheet / diagram
HW: Students complete wk6 quest.
Week 7 /
  1. Lean Canvas Business Plan
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) /
  1. Fill in one page Lean Canvas business plan & save on file
  2. Create a report on your Business Plan – defining your decisions, and explaining why there are certain areas still blank.
HW: Students complete wk7 quest.
Week 8 /
  1. Solution
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) /
  1. In your teams discuss your research and validation. Based on results create your solution.
  2. Take minutes of this brainstorming meeting and save on file
  3. Time to Build, Measure & Learn. Create your next survey:
  • Hackers create 3 survey questions to find out from your early adopters what they would most like to see from a technical perspective in your solution (eg – web based / app based/ other disruptive technologies);
  • Hawkers create 3 survey questions to find out from your early adopters what they would most like to see from a practical perspective in your solution (is our current solution better than what is currently out there, what would you pay for it);
  • Hipsters create 3 survey questions to find out from your early adopters what they would most like to see from a marketing perspective in your solution (based on our solution where would like us to advertise, how would you like to be able to find us…);
  • Now together pull your solution survey together and get it out there as you did before
  • Survey and resultsto be uploaded onto the MyEd below.
HW: Students complete wk8 quest.
Week 9 / Branding & Business Fashion
  1. Discuss survey results and refine solution
  2. What is a Brand
  3. How do you become a household name?
The ways businesses organise themselves to improve productivity (e.g. provision of training, investment in applications of technology, use of just-in-time inventory systems) (ACHEK054) / Brainstorming should be recorded via minutes of a meeting and saved on file:
  1. Discuss survey results and refine your solution. Record this meeting via minutes and upload. It is important to state in this meeting why you are choosing to go in the direction you are choosing.
  2. Team - Start by picking a product name
  3. Hipster - Create a tag line (state why)
  4. Hipsters –Create a logo, (state why)
  5. Hipsters - must research names, taglines and logos of other similar products and report which are catchy and what emotion they evoke and why, and which are not.
  6. Hacker – research similar products and the technology they use and create a report about your research
  7. Hawker – research revenue streams of similar products and create a report stating how much competitors charge and how else they make money
HW: Students complete wk9 quest.
Week 10 / Coding Camps
  1. 1 day incursion for all students would be wonderful
Ways that businesses respond to improved economic conditions (e.g. increasing their research and development funding to create innovative products, adjusting marketing strategies to expand their market share) (ACHEK054) / Hacker –
  1. Create user stories and save on file;
  2. Create the wire frame and save on file;
  3. Create an MVP utilising POP;
  4. Let’s get coding your product
Hawker –
  1. Let’s look at the latest survey results;
  2. Collate feedback into graphs.
  3. Create a To Do Board for your team – save onto file and make accessible for team.
  4. Let’s start talking to potential paying clients
Hipsters –
  1. Create a blog page about your product;
  2. Write a blog;
  3. Set up a you-tube channel
  4. Create your first Vlog
  5. Create a facebook page;
  6. Create the design for your your print media
Wk 1-10 Quests due: 07/04/17 (15% weighting)
Week 11 / Social Media
The ways businesses organise themselves to improve productivity (e.g. provision of training, investment in applications of technology, use of just-in-time inventory systems) (ACHEK054) / Team meeting about where to blog, and how to blog:
  1. Hacker – research blog sites that could be of use to your team;
  2. Hawker – research costs of hiring professional bloggers;
  3. Hipsters- create 2 new blog posts.
Students complete quests every week to be submitted to the teacher for marking. 40% weighting.
APRIL SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Term 2
Week 1 / Costing
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) / Hawker -
  1. put together an Xcel spreadsheet on costs and research the costs;
Hacker –
  1. Beta Testing – create a focus group to test your MVP, collect and collate feedback in a report.
Hipster -
  1. Start Storyboarding the Crowd Funding Video;
  2. Watch other Kickstarter Videos to see what your’ s could be like, create a report stating the tone you intend to use, locations, the message you want to get out there.
HW: Students complete quests.
Week 2 / Monetisation / Revenue Streams
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) / Hawker –
  1. Research Money Models, choose one for your organisation;
  2. Create a report on why you have chosen this model, explaining all ways you intend to make money
  3. Create break even analyses.
Hipster –
  1. Finalise your video storyboard, and start filming.
Hacker –
  1. Compile your research from your Beta Testing of your product and refine your product based on the feedback received.
HW: Students complete quests.
Week 3 / Go To Market Strategy
The ways businesses organise themselves to improve productivity (e.g. provision of training, investment in applications of technology, use of just-in-time inventory systems) (ACHEK054) / Team Brainstorm:
  1. Brainstorm how you intend to make noise, and get your product out there;
  2. Create a plan of action developed into a flowchart;
  3. Plan must include execution of social media, radio, competition, specials, driving of traffic to your site…
  4. Team to create a report & flowchart and save it on file.
  5. The report must be broken down into a 12 month action plan, of four marketing activities per month.
HW: Students complete quests.
Week 4 / PowerPoint Pitch
  1. Creating a riveting presentation
  2. The flow
  3. Keeping your audience awake
  4. Putting your best foot forward
  5. Pitch, Pace & Pause
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) / Everything you have done to date must now go into your PowerPoint Pitch – please share out the slides, so that you all work on it equally:
  1. Problem;
  2. How bad the problem is
  3. Who is experiencing the problem;
  4. User Persona
  5. Competitors;
  6. Your Solution, LOGO and Tagline;
  7. MVP Display
  8. Points of Difference;
  9. Cost to take it to market;
  10. How you are going to make money;
  11. Your go to market strategy &
  12. Call to action.
This presentation and all notes must be filed in your Just Start It Folder, myEd & anywhere else your teacher deems suitable.
HW: Students complete quests.
Week 5 / 2 minute Video & 5 minute Pitch / Film & Practice
  • Hipsters - Have you created storyboard for your video?
  • Hawkers must book actors, locations and film equipment
  • Hackers must film and edit
Homework booklets due: 02/06/17 (15% weighting)
Week 6-7 / Internal Pitch Off / Schools hold internal events to choose their competing team:
Only 1 team from each school can go through to the semi-final round;
Just Start IT will organise the judging panel for all internal events;
Week 8 / Semi Finals / Semi final pitch will take place at Curtin University
Week 9-10 / Gala Pitch Off / 10 Teams will compete for the main prize of $5000, and 2017 trophy.
  • Location TBA

Semester Two
Term 3
Week 1-7 / Entrepreneurship & Business
Internet websites, encyclopaediareferences to businesses
Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions (e.g. price, availability and cost of finance, marketing of products, age and gender of consumers, convenience, ethical and environmental considerations) and the short-term and long-term consequences of these decisions (ACHEK053) / Students begin a five week in class research assignment on Businesses. Topics covered are:
  • Ownership structures, capital inputs, liability of owners, advantages and disadvantages.
  • Mission statement
  • Business idea
  • Development of business idea
  • Business name including developing a logo, registering the name, ABN,
  • Location including demographics
  • Marketing
  • Magazine advertisement
  • TV commercial
Students select a Business to research, create a Powerpoint and oral presentation to class
Business Oral Presentations Due Week 7 (10% weighting)
Week 8 -10 / Money Smart – personal finances

The links between economic performance and living standards, the variations that exist within and between economies and the possible causes (e.g. foreign investment, employment rates and levels of debt) (ACHEK051) / Using the lessons from the Moneysmart website, students learn the following topics: