Shark Tank Entrepreneurship Project PBL | Business Plan Unit Grades 6-8

Transform your classroom into a dynamic **Shark Tank–style entrepreneurship experience** with this comprehensive, project-based learning unit for **Grades 6–8**.

Students move from identifying real-world problems and developing an original business idea to researching customers, building a brand, analyzing financial information, writing a mini business plan, and delivering a polished **6-part business pitch**.

## 📦 WHAT'S INCLUDED — 109 PAGES

### 📓 Front Matter & Teacher Implementation Guide

**Welcome Letter & How-to-Use Guide** Step-by-step setup instructions for creating a Shark Tank classroom environment.

**Materials & Supplies Checklist** A list of materials to gather before beginning the unit.

**Printable Family Letter** A ready-to-send letter introducing the project and explaining how caregivers can support the market-research homework.

**Pacing Calendars** Day-by-day pacing for both a **2-week sprint** and a **3-week deep dive**.

**Standards & Differentiation** Alignment to:

* CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.4 * CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.1 * CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3 * CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.3 * CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.4/B.5 * 21st Century Career Readiness Skills

Also includes accommodation strategies for **ELL, IEP/504, Gifted/Enrichment, and tech-limited classrooms**.

### 🛠️ Teacher Toolkit

**Shark Tank Setup Guide** Physical setup ideas, optional decorations, and no-cost ways to build excitement.

**Guest Shark Invitation Template** Invite teachers, administrators, local business owners, or parents to serve as guest judges.

**4 Shark Persona Cards**

* Ms. Innovation * Mr. Numbers * Ms. Customer * Mr. Brand

Each includes an investment style and sample questions for student pitchers.

**26-Term Vocabulary Glossary** Includes terms such as **Entrepreneur, COGS, Profit Margin, Target Market, Equity, Break-Even, and USP**, written at a middle-school reading level.

### 📝 10 Detailed Lesson Plans

Every lesson includes an **Objective, Essential Question, Materials List, Warm-Up, Direct Instruction, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, Closure, Success Criteria, Common Misconceptions, and Differentiation Tips**.

**Lesson 1:** Introduction to Entrepreneurship & Problem Identification **Lesson 2:** Ideation: Finding Your Business Idea **Lesson 3:** Target Market & Customer Profiles **Lesson 4:** Market Research & Surveys **Lesson 5:** Analyzing Research & Product Adaptation **Lesson 6:** Branding: Name, Logo, & Tagline **Lesson 7:** Financial Basics: Cost, Price, & Profit (COGS) **Lesson 8:** The Mini Business Plan: Pulling It Together **Lesson 9:** Crafting the Pitch & Public Speaking **Lesson 10:** Shark Tank Pitch Day!

### 📓 Printable Student Workbook — 12 Pages

Includes:

* Vocabulary Tracker * Entrepreneur Profile & Problem/Solution Brainstorm * Business Concept Worksheet with viability filters * Target Market Demographics & Customer Avatar Sketch Page * Market Research Survey Design & Analysis with Bar Graph Grid * Financial Blueprint covering COGS, Retail Price, Profit Margin, and Break-Even * Marketing Strategy & Founder's Reflection Journal for mid-unit and end-of-unit reflection

### 🎨 Branding Studio — 5 Pages

**Brand Identity Blueprint** — Name, Tagline, Voice, Mission Statement

**Logo Design Pad** — Rough-draft grids and final design space with a logo checklist

**Color Palette & Typography Worksheets** — Includes a color-psychology quick reference

**Brand Style Guide**

**Business Card Template** — Printable, cut-out, fold-ready

### 💼 Mini Business Plan — 7 Pages

A structured **6-section business plan** covering:

1. Executive Summary 2. Problem/Solution 3. Market Analysis 4. Research Findings 5. Branding Identity 6. Financial Plan

Includes guided prompts, lined writing spaces, and a title page.

### 🎤 Pitch Slide Storyboard — 7 Pages

Students plan a **6-slide visual presentation** and write their speaking scripts:

* The Hook * The Problem * The Solution * The Market * The Financials * The Ask

Also includes a **Delivery Cheat Sheet**.

### ✅ Evaluations & Rubrics

**Pitch Day Self-Checklist**

**5-Category Peer Evaluation Rubric**

**Teacher Shark Tank Scorecard** — 40-point scorecard with grading scale and narrative feedback section

**Pre-Assessment Quiz** — 10 questions

**Post-Assessment Quiz** — 10 questions using the same questions to measure growth

**Answer Key** — Full explanations for the assessment questions

**Exit Ticket Compilation** — One exit ticket per lesson, formatted 2-per-page

### 🌟 Extensions & Awards

**Commercial Storyboard** — 30-second commercial planning template for gifted students and early finishers

**Shark Persona Profiles — Deep Dive** — Research activities featuring entrepreneurs such as Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, and Daymond John

**Certificate of Achievement**

**6 Superlative Awards**

* Most Creative * Best Financials * Best Pitch Delivery * Best Branding * Most Improved * People's Choice

Also included is a **clickable Table of Contents with 138 internal navigation links** and a Thank You + TPT Review Request page.

### 🌟 WHY TEACHERS LOVE THIS RESOURCE

**Low Prep, High Engagement:** Everything is structured step-by-step with printable materials for classroom use.

**Real-World Math & ELA:** Students apply **profit margins, COGS, break-even analysis, persuasive communication, and public speaking** in the context of creating a business.

**Differentiated by Design:** Lesson plans include strategies for **struggling learners, ELL students, IEP/504 students, and gifted/enrichment learners**.

**Measure Real Growth:** Matching pre- and post-assessments provide a way to measure learning across the unit.

**Premium Classroom Design:** Uses a professional **Purple (#3C3489), Teal (#1D9E75), and Cream** palette with consistent tables, organizers, and header/footer branding.

**Built for Real Student Work:** Worksheets include writing space, graphing grids, survey templates, and fillable tables intended for middle-school use.

### 🎯 PERFECT FOR

* Middle school career-readiness electives * 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ELA speaking & persuasive communication * Middle school math financial literacy and data activities * CTE / Business Education * End-of-year or end-of-quarter PBL capstones * Co-taught and inclusive classrooms * Homeschool co-ops

### 📌 RESOURCE DETAILS

**Grade Levels:** 6, 7, 8 **Subjects:** Career & Technical Education, Business, ELA (Speaking & Listening), Math (Ratios & Proportions), Life Skills **Duration:** 2–3 weeks, with 10 lessons at approximately 50 minutes each **Format:** PDF, 109 pages, print-and-go

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