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Business Location - Lesson Plan: 3 x 1 hour lessons

A series of 'off the shelf' lesson plans and resources for use in the classroom. These lessons deal with Business Location and are relevant to the following specifications:

• AQA: Unit 5, 14.6. Unit 6
• Edexcel: Unit 4, Unit 6
• OCR: Module 2876 and 2877

Aim

The aim of these lessons is to consider factors that modern business, in the light of technological and economic changes, might have to consider in decisions to re-locate.

The Activity is based around a scenario of a business selling CDs and DVDs to a variety of customer types and countries around the world. The firm has outgrown its original location and is now making a big decision to re-locate as it enters a new phase in its development. You should assume that the company is growing and will be able to sustain any move, wherever it might end up being.

The task is very open-ended and requires students to think through a number of possible factors influencing their decision-making. They will get some guidance through using the Mind Map and Presentation, which summarise some of these factors.

The lessons initially focus student thinking on traditional factors affecting location but then move towards the more flexible options open to many businesses in the service sector, where the existence of the Internet can effectively mean they could locate anywhere. There are various clues to guide thinking in the scenario - for example, the reference to the staff - but the outcome has no set correct answer.

Assessment of the students should be based on the quality of the argument they present and the depth of thinking demonstrated through their support for their case. Students performing at a high level in this Activity will demonstrate an understanding of a wide range of factors influencing location - not just a single position necessarily but possibly multiple locations - and will be able to evaluate effectively the arguments put forward.

The lessons are designed to be carried out through small groups discussing and assessing the various options, which they will then present to the rest of the group. At the end of the presentations, the educator should draw together the different conclusions through a whole group discussion of the issues raised.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lessons, students should demonstrate:

• Knowledge of traditional factors influencing location
• Knowledge of the range of factors affecting location of modern businesses, especially with regard to the effect of technology on location decisions
• Knowledge of the key internal and external factors affecting location decisions
• Knowledge and understanding of the balance of quantitative and qualitative factors in affecting decision making
• An ability to present a clear, well-supported argument demonstrating both analytical and evaluation skills and using appropriate media

Resources

• PowerPoint Presentation - Business Location [223 KB] (basic version also available for quicker download [176 KB])
• Mind Map - Business Location
• Activity - Business Location
• Some prompt cards - business logos pasted onto card
• Access to appropriate presentation media and digital projector

Lesson Structure

Lesson 1

1. Introduce the topic by handing out the prompt cards and asking students to consider the main factors influencing the location of the businesses selected (try to get a range of businesses across all sectors). Discuss the outcomes. (15 minutes)
2. Show the PowerPoint Presentation to cover the main theoretical factors behind location. Discuss and relate to the previous task. (20 minutes)
3. Introduce the Activity. Split the class into appropriate sized groups (suggest no more than 3 per group). Explain the process and the learning objectives and set students on task. (20 minutes)
4. Draw the lesson to a close by summarising the key points and outlining the process for the next lesson. (5 minutes)

Lesson 2

1. Remind students of the aims and process of the lesson. (5 minutes)
2. Set students on task. (50 minutes)
3. Plan and prepare the order of the presentations for the next lesson. (5 minutes)

Lesson 3

1. Go through the presentations - time dependent on the number of groups.
2. Allow sufficient time to be able to discuss student presentations as a whole group.