should ever be put on the marketplace for sale. Students had to dress in. âbusiness-likeâ attire and act the part fo
New Project Thrown Into Business Shark Tank The Marketing Essentials class taught by Mrs. Shelby Stumpf got involved with a new project called “The Shark Tank.” This project centered on the hit television show “Shark Tank” aired on ABC on Friday nights. The idea behind this project came when Mrs. Stumpf decided that incorporating STEM into her curriculum was a high priority this year. Students were to act as entrepreneurs/inventors and develop products that could be potentially “real” products that would solve “real” problems. Students had to use STEM to invent, build, simulate, and demonstrate how the products were used to solve those problems. Then, students had to market their product idea to the sharks. The “sharks” that helped and sat in on the presentations were Mr. Shigle, Mrs. Sturm, Mrs. Kelly, and Mr. Aftanas. Each student was required to prove that their invention was new, useful, safe, legal, and realistic. They did this by conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis that included information regarding product utilities, branding, financing, and benefits to the economy.
The students in the photo with their projects are, from left to right: Leah Vorce (grade 9) and Kayla Kolesar (grade 9). Photo by Shelby Stumpf.
A “mock” patent was also part of the project where students had to utilize the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website to conduct research on types of patents that they would have to apply for if this product should ever be put on the marketplace for sale. Students had to dress in “business-like” attire and act the part for their presentation to the sharks. The sharks then decided if the students got a deal or not. This simulated the actual television show empowering students to think like entrepreneurs and to help them understand the process of marketing. For bonus, students had to build a “prototype” of their invention.
Some of the inventions that students came up with were: • Grains of Change, by Ben Lyman, Grade 10 o Ben’s product is a greenhouse that grows rice in a synthetic environment to bring out its fullest growing potential and provide the best growing conditions. • Hasty Healthy Hair Dryer, by Leah Vorce & Kayla Kolesar, Grade 9 o Leah and Kayla’s product is a product for woman to be able to blow dry their hair and brush their hair at the same time. • Stick-up Makeup, by Brooke Petro & Maggie Stasko, grade 12 o Brooke and Maggie’s product is a revolutionary kind of eye makeup for women on the go. It is an eye shadow sticker that is a one-step application. Quotes from teachers about this project: Mrs. Stumpf: This project has been one of the best that I have incorporated into my classroom. It brings to life what the students learn about the marketing process. It was fun, invigorating, extremely realistic, and very hands-on. I will be doing this again next year with a few minor changes. I am hoping to add outside business owners to the panel of sharks for next year. Next Page, Please
Mrs. Sturm: It’s impressive to see how innovative students at multiple levels are capable of showcasing their talents. It put into perspective for the students just how difficult it is to formulate an idea and patent their invention. Mr. Shigle: The student sharks were tougher than the real sharks. The students were able to see and understand how tough it is to get an idea up and running and how difficult it is to get the financial backing. Mr. Aftanas: I was honored to be asked as a participating “shark” to evaluate the students’ products and presentations. This was a very practical experience for all of Mrs. Stumpf’s Marketing Essentials classes, and one in which will give each of them a true perspective on the fundamental aspects of business…innovation, sales, product, presentation, persuasion, and finance, just to name a few.
Submitted by Ms. Shelby L. Stumpf Teacher/DECA Advisor Department of Business, Computers, Information Technology Norwin High School
