BUSINESS STUDIES @ LHSS

Welcome to LHSS’s dynamic business department where future leaders in business and the community are developed. Our courses give today’s students the skills they need to compete in an ever-changing world.  We are “taking care of business”.

Business Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM):  Students may enter the SHSM program in grade 11.

Business Studies Certificate:  This certificate is available to any student who specializes in Business Studies by taking a concentration of five Business classes.

GRADE 9

BEM 1OI (Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset, Open)

Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset provides students with an opportunity to learn what makes an entrepreneur thrive and the skills required to succeed in today’s business environment. Students will begin to develop their own entrepreneurial mindset, and learn why it’s important to take initiative, adapt to change, find creative solutions, and understand the financial considerations of entrepreneurship.

Students will use business software and applications to plan and develop their ideas and learn how to present them to a target audience. Students will enhance their communication skills, as well as develop and refine their project management skills, including goal setting, and time management and networking.

Here are examples of some activities within the course:

  • Field trip to see real entrepreneurs at the St. Jacobs Market & or going to an Escape Room
  • Building a budget
  • Pitching an idea to potential investors
  • Create a sample investment portfolio & learn about basics of stock market and investments
  • Learning about key accomplishments of entrepreneurs
  • Creating effective slideshow presentations
  • Designing an innovative product or service-Dragon’s Den Pitch
  • This course will be beneficial to help prepare students to write the new mandatory Financial Literacy test in grade 10 (new requirement in math)

 

BEM 1OB (Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset, Fast Forward)

  • Students will learn what makes an entrepreneur thrive and the skills required to succeed in today’s business environment.
  • This hands-on course will use business software and applications to help students plan and develop their entrepreneurial ideas and learn how to present their ideas.Computer software will focus on learning Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Publishing, Website Design and Google Suite using their chromebooks daily.
  • Learn to manage and use your Chromebook effectively and skills learned in BEM can be be applied to many other subject areas, leading to greater student success and how to thrive as a future entrepreneur with software skills.

GRADE 10

BEP 2OI (Launching and Leading a Business, Open) 

This course introduces students to the world of business and what is required to be successful, ethical, and responsible in today’s economy. Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to be an entrepreneur who knows how to respond to local and global market opportunities. 

Throughout the course, students will explore and understand the responsibility of managing different functions of a business. This course builds a foundation for further studies in business and helps students develop the business knowledge and skills they will need in their everyday lives. Come wear the shoes of a President or an Executive in our BEP classroom as you apply your theory to current business challenges and have an opportunity to run a small business venture for the day with your classmates.  Prerequisite – none.  Note – there is no final exam.

Units of Study:

  • Basic business fundamentals & International Business
  • Marketing and advertising
  • Financing a business
  • Accounting & Production
  • Human Resources & Leadership
  • Entrepreneurship – Running your own business venture with your peers
  • Basic business fundamentals and much more!

Highlights of the course:

  • Cookie Advertising Challenge Project (yes, we will eat & make cookies)
  • Redesigning Logos and designing social media ads
  • Stock market challenge competing against students from across Ontario
  • Possible field trips to local businesses such as going to meet the management team and go bowling at Kingpin, watching global award winning commercials at a local movie theatre and or an Escape Room

Enrichment Opportunity:  University of Waterloo Financial Literacy Competition. Grade 9 and 10 business students have the opportunity to compete against other students from across Canada in the University of Waterloo Financial Literacy Competition. Students can win prizes for being top finishers at their school and scholarships are available for those that win. We have had one of our business students win first place across Canada and won a  University of Waterloo scholarship and more more.

GRADE 11

BAF3MI (Financial Accounting Fundamentals, University/College)

  • Accounting is the language of business.  It is difficult to imagine an organization or an individual not affected by accounting.  From the local corner store to the world’s largest corporation, successful people and businesses use accounting to organize, understand, and communicate all aspects of their financial position.
  • Ultimately, it is this understanding that helps people make wise business decisions.  Students will develop financial analysis and decision-making skills that will assist them in future studies and career opportunities in business.
  • This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and procedures of accounting, with emphasis on accounting procedures used in service and merchandising businesses.  Students will develop an understanding of the connections between financial analysis, control and decision making in the management of a business, as well as the effects of technology and globalization on accounting procedures and the role of the accountant.
  • Prerequisite: none.

Summative Projects:

  • Final exam; &
  • Students will play Monopoly and record each transaction in order to complete the accounting cycle.

 

BDI3CI (Entrepreneurship:  The Venture, College)

  • How do entrepreneurs find and recognize business opportunities, generate ideas, and plan to launch and operate a successful venture?
  • How do they commercialize new robotics, technology devices, a new clothing line, or scientific discovery? Come find out about Entrepreneurship!
  • The goal is to enhance students’ entrepreneurial skills, overcome the challenges of starting and operating a new business by practicing with real entrepreneurial experiences.  Ignite your competitive spirit by learning with several game platforms, and a real in-class model.
  • Prerequisite:  NONE.

Course Highlights:

  • Activities that develop entrepreneurial skills
  • Challenges (in-class and online games) that stretch your creative thinking
  • Leadership opportunities within a school based venture to build CEO experience
  • Learn what it takes to be your own boss
  • Experience the business model canvas
  • Develop your own business idea and build it into a working business!

Units of Study:

  • Enterprising People and Entrepreneurs
  • Brilliant Ideas and Market Opportunities
  • Benefits of Business Planning (Business Model Canvas)
  • Creating a Venture (Summative Evaluation)

 

BMI3CI (Marketing:  Goods, Services & Events, College)

  • Have you ever wondered about the world of advertising and marketing?  Marketing is a world more than just commercials.
  • This course will discuss market research, product development, pricing, packaging, placement strategies, and of course promotion and advertising. Students learn how an idea becomes a product and goes from the concept stage to the marketplace through case studies, market challenges and real-life examples.
  • The course is designed to build knowledge and skills in a practical, fun, and outgoing manner. Come wear the shoes of an advertising executive, sales person or brand manager in the BMI 3CI classroom.
  • Prerequisite:  none. Note – there is no final exam.

Fun things we will do:

  • Students will engage in a blind taste test challenge (yes…we will eat food!)
  • Egg drop packaging challenge
  • Dragon Den’s Sales Pitch
  • Filming our own television commercials
  • Redesign logos and advertisements
  • Working with local businesses to help revamp their advertising plan
  • Design new products and marketing plans to make them a success

Summative:  The summative project invites students to “invent” or “innovate” a product and create a marketing plan to support it, making the course a very practical, hands-on and fun experience. We will also film a commercial too!

Some possible field trips:

  • Escape Room Experience
  • Canada’s Wonderland- learning about marketing
  • Watching Cannes Awards (award winning  international commercials at a movie theatre)
  • Doing a focus group at an advertising company
  • Visiting local businesses

GRADE 12

BAT4MI (Financial Accounting Principles, University/College)

  • Accounting is the language of business.  This course introduces students to advanced accounting principles that will prepare them for postsecondary studies in business.  Students will learn about financial statements for various forms of business ownership and how those statements are interpreted in making business decisions.
  • This course expands students’ knowledge of sources of financing, further develops accounting methods for assets, and introduces accounting for partnerships and corporations.
  • Prerequisite:  BAF3MI.

 

BBB4MI (International Business Fundamentals, University/College)

“Globalization has changed us into a company that searches the world, not just to sell or to source, but to find intellectual capital – the world’s best talents and greatest ideas.” Jack Welch

  • The international business course looks to encompass all that Mr. Welch speaks to in the quote above.  Students will learn about business, trade and the economy, and examine success factors such as cultural knowledge and how to deal with current trends like oil price fluctuations, the environment and sustainable business practices.
  • In addition, students will investigate the growing concept of corporate social responsibility and will look at how it can be positioned as a competitive advantage in today’s global environment. Finally, students will learn about marketing products internationally and logistical processed used to transport products up and down the supply chain.
  • This course prepares students for postsecondary programs in business, international business, marketing, and management.  
  • Prerequisite:  Any U/M/C course in Business Studies, English or Canadian and World Studies.

Topics of Study:

  • Introduction to International Trade
  • Culture, Politics, and Economics
  • Trade Organizations & Social Responsibility
  • International Marketing and Logistics
  • Canada’s Role in International Business

 

BOH4MI (Business Leadership:  Management Fundamentals, University/College)

  • Interested in learning how to be someone’s manager?  This course examines effective leadership practices used in successful corporations.
  • Students will analyze the role of a leader in business, with a focus on decision making, management of group dynamics, workplace stress and conflict, motivation of employees and planning.  Effective business communication skills, ethics and social responsibility are also emphasized.
  • Through a variety of classroom activities the students will develop and enhance their own leadership skills.  This course prepares students for careers in business, management, accounting, psychology, and sociology.
  • Prerequisite:  Any U/M/C course in Business Studies, English or Canadian and World Studies.  

 

CIA4UI (Analysing Current Economic Issues, University)

  • WANT TO MANAGE A $1,000,000 STOCK PORTFOLIO??? If yes, then CIA4UI is for you!!! This course takes a close look at one of our most powerful forces in society today – MONEY!  How does where we spend our money impact the world in which we live?
  • How do the decisions that we make every day shape our society both today and in the future? CIA4UI examines current Canadian and international micro and macroeconomic issues, developments, policies, and practices from diverse perspectives.
  • Students will explore the decisions that individuals and institutions, including governments, make in response to economic issues such as globalization, trade agreements, economic inequalities, regulation, and public spending.
  • Students will apply the concepts of economic thinking and economic inquiry process, as well as economic models and theories, to investigate, and develop informed opinions about economic trade-offs.
  • Prerequisite:  Any U/M/C course in Business Studies, English or Canadian and World Studies. NOTE – counts as Group 1 credit for OSSD.

Looking at a Bachelor of Business Administration/Commerce/ Economics degree?

Economics is a required course of study in mant post secondary business programs (such as Micro and Macroeconomics in first year: WLU BBA, Queen’s Bachelor of Commerce, Guelph Commerce, and York University’s Schulich School of Business BBA).

Units of Study:

  • Unit 1 – Fundamentals of Economics
  • Unit 2 – Firms, Markets and Economic Stakeholders
  • Unit 3 – Macroeconomics
  • Unit 4 – Global Interdependence and Inequalities