CLB Level: Ph2C-Ph3B
Essential Skills Focus:
Reading Text, Continuous Learning
Task: Read about a Winnipeg business and complete a short profile
Purpose: Students will
  • Define what a business is and be able to provide examples
  • Scan text and be able to complete a short business profile
Materials: Board, overhead, Winnipeg Business Profile (Academy Florist) – profile was modified from the business profile section at this website question page
Learning Style: Auditory, visual
Time: 60 minutes / Method:
Start class by writing the word business on the board. Ask students what a business is. Listen for responses and write a few ideas on the board. Ask students to provide some examples of businesses (i.e. McDonalds, The Bay, Winnipeg Transit). Explain that all businesses sell something or provide a service to customers in exchange for money. Ask students if the English school is a business. Explain that while the school provides a service (i.e. education), students are not required to pay money to attend. Therefore the English school is not a business.
Tell students that they will be reading about a business in downtown Winnipeg. The business is the Academy Florist at Portage Place. Pass out the profile to students (see attached). Have students individually read the story. When students are finished, read the story as a whole class. Ask individual students to take turns reading. The teacher should ask comprehension questions after the reading and review any words that students might have had difficulty with.
After reading the story, pass out to students a question page (see attached). Have students complete the question page. The question page requires students to scan the story for information and complete a short business profile about Academy Florist.
Follow Up:
Correct the question page with the students as a whole class by putting the answers on the overhead. Review with students what a business is. Ask students if the Academy Florist located at Portage Place is a business. Ask students what this particular business sells and what service the business provides to customers.
Debrief/Transfer:
Ask students what essential skills they have learned in this lesson. Explain/review with students the importance of reading text and that it is important to be informed about businesses in their community. It is also important to be informed about some of the daily tasks involved in running a business. Some students might work at or choose to open their own business in the future.

Winnipeg Business Profile

Academy Florist at Portage Place

  1. Sisters Melanie and Monica Bernadsky have been in the flower business for 13 years. The two sisters are the owners of the Academy Florist located at the Portage Place shopping centre in downtown Winnipeg. The sisters opened the business in 1995.
  1. Monica has training in business. She uses her training to run the business. Monica orders the flowers, looks after the bills and pays the workers. Melanie looks after the flowers. She cuts the flowers, waters the flowers and makes beautiful and colourful flower bouquets. Together the sisters run the busy flower shop.
  1. Academy Florist is full of beautiful flowers and cards for all occasions. The business will deliver flowers citywide. The sisters provide flowers to offices, weddings and funerals, too. The sisters have fifty different flowers. The fresh flowers are shipped in everyday so they last longer.
  1. The sisters like having a downtown store because the area has lots of entertainment, shopping and dining. Portage Place is a good location for a business because the mall is always busy. A busy place like a shopping mall is good for business.
  1. Academy Florist is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Saturday. The business is closed on Sunday. The phone number is 943-6514.

Winnipeg Business Questions

  1. Fill in the information about the business

Name of Business
Type of Business
Business Owners
Location
Hours
Phone Number
  1. Yes or No. This is a family business?
  1. How long have the sisters owned the business?
  1. What does Monica do?
  1. What does Melanie do?
  1. Academy Florist has beautiful flower bouquets. Circle the picture of a bouquet.

WinnipegSchool Division Adult EAL ProgramEssential Skill Focus: Reading / Continuous Learning

Author: Lucas SkeltonCLB level: Ph2C - Ph3B