Activity 1: Playing roles within a company
Description of the activity: Through this activity, the students will gain a better understanding of the company structure and how to advance in their career. As a teacher, you can take on the role of CEO or President, and your students can hold the title of Manager or Employee, giving them valuable titles. This activity can continue throughout the school year.
Materials used and organization:
Materials used: You can also find business simulation games online. Check out this website under external resources.
Group size: the whole class or in subgroups fit the “company”.
Time: throughout the school year / duration around one lesson at a time
Steps
- Determine with your class the purpose of your “company” and the roles everyone will assume. Roles can be created based on the jobs your students have (e.g. hotel roles: starting with managers, cleaning staff, etc.). Give them tasks that are relevant to their role and give them the space to show initiative and develop their tasks. To mimic working life, give them points or some kind of “payment”.
- Meet every 3 to 4 weeks to evaluate how things are going and to present what has been achieved. The goal is to motivate them.
- Gather for a big meeting where everyone gets their “payment” and summarizes their achievements. Students who add ‘extra’ matters to their role or take them up outside their role, i.e. show initiative, are rewarded extra. As a teacher, discuss this link between taking the initiative and extra reward and appreciation in detail.
With this activity you have achieved the following objectives:
- Investigate the motivation for each role from different roles
- Students learn that taking on extra matters in or outside their role yields extra reward and appreciation
- Linking extra reward or appreciation and taking initiative to the ‘real world’