TEEN TYCOONS

PROGRAMME 2: PENDRAGON

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

The programme can be used as the focus of a stand-alone lesson, or as a starter for learning about aspects of the business and working world, whether through direct or indirect experience.

These activities support a variety of individual, paired and group work and can be chosen and adapted to suit the needs of the students involved.

The most interesting focus in this programme is on the principles of the band's front man about what he will and won't sell.

The questions and discussion points in 'Before viewing' might better come after viewing if the group is very new to business and enterprise concepts.

Before viewing

Points for discussion and research:

What do these business terms mean?

• Merchandise
• Making money
• Gross income
• Marketing
• Promotion
• Publicity

What is the difference between a 'product' and a 'service' in business?

If you don't know, watch out for these terms while you're watching and try to define them afterwards. Look them up if you still don't know.

What do you already know about running a business? Have you ever tried? What happened? Does anyone among your family and friends run a business? What do you think are the main advantages of running your own business? What are some of the disadvantages?

After viewing

To view 4Learning video clips you will need Windows XP/2000 and Windows Media Player 9, 10 or 11. Unfortunately, the clips are not supported on Macintosh computers.

The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end. We have therefore included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.

What makes an entrepreneur?
Clip one: 02.56 – 04.30

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'With no time to lose, Sarah and Michael are straight on the case.'
• Closes with Sarah saying, '…You know what you've got to work and what you've got to put right.'

What personal qualities and skills do Sarah, Michael and Adam possess that make them successful entrepreneurs? Think of some key words that describe an entrepreneur. Do they need any formal qualifications? Did Michael or Sarah have any? How might qualifications help someone run a successful business?

[If students have watched other programmes in the Teen Tycoons series, as well as revisiting some of these questions, they could consider whether additional qualities and skills are revealed in this programme.]

Re-inventing Pendragon
Clip two: 04.13 – 06.00

• Opens with Michael saying, 'So one of the ideas that I had for taking the business forward was this rock school.'
• Closes with Nick saying, 'I wouldn't charge them for doing it.'

Michael carried out some basic market research to discover whether people would pay to go to the Pendragon rock school. Is the teaching that Nick would provide a product or a service? Think of other contexts outside schools, colleges and universities where teaching is provided. Which ones do people expect to pay for? If you were Nick, how would you feel about charging money for passing on your knowledge to others? In what circumstances do you think that people should not have to pay for teaching that they need? If you had been at the Pendragon rock school how would you have used what you learned? Might you use it to go and make money for yourself?

Merchandise
Clip three: 14.19 – 15.56

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'Nick's sold on the idea.'
• Closes with Michael saying, 'If he were to turn this rock school into a business idea it would really take off.'

What products had Pendragon been using to promote the band? They had only been selling them to people who came to their concerts. What did Sarah suggest they do to promote the band to appeal to more young people? What would be the result of selling more T-shirts even if the buyers didn't come to the concerts? Will her ideas work? Why do you think that Nick was excited about redesigning the T-shirts?

In pairs, think of another kind of creative business (based on music, art, performance, design, etc.). Think of some merchandise that you could sell to people to persuade them to buy your product or service. Design a storyboard for a TV advertisement to promote your business; or create a design for a promotional T-shirt, then design and write the price tag.

Ethical business practice
Clip four: 19.50 – 22.39

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'It's the final day and Pendragon's rock school band is tuning up for the gig.'
• Closes with Michael saying, 'Just display it, just so people can have a look at it.'

Was Michael wasting his time with Nick? List some indicators that show that he was and some that show that he may not have been. Do you think that Nick would ever make an entrepreneur? Are there any other ways that Pendragon could increase its income without compromising Nick's principles? What kinds of legal activity do you consider should not be engaged in for the purpose of making money?