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Goal(s)

a) Overall Purpose and Needs Addressed
The purpose of this hands-on, experiential learning-based project is to empower elementary students to explore entrepreneurship by designing their own original theme park business. It addresses the need for early financial literacy, creative problem-solving, collaborative innovation, and career awareness (e.g., advertising, marketing, architecture). Many students lack access to real-world applications of academic content. This initiative fills that gap by integrating business concepts into a hands-on, interdisciplinary experience that fosters creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. Located in Florida, many students are already familiar with theme parks, providing them with a foundational understanding and landscape upon which to build their ideal theme park. Students will engage in real-world applications of a STEAM-based curriculum with the inquiry cycle serving as a pedagogical framework. Students will present their theme parks to an audience of 100-150 students, families, school faculty, and community members, fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship, artistic expression, passion, confidence, and communication within the school and beyond.
This project supports diverse learners by offering differentiated roles (e.g., designer, marketer, engineer), visual aids, sentence starters, and hands-on materials. It fosters engagement, SEL, and academic growth, especially for students who thrive in creative, collaborative environments. It also builds foundational career awareness and financial literacy, aligning with school goals for enrichment and equity.
The project’s learning goals and academic outcomes are thoughtfully aligned with Florida’s Entrepreneurship, Mathematics, and Gifted Standards. Below is a selection of the benchmarks addressed, though this list is not exhaustive:

MA.4.M.1.1 Select and use appropriate tools to measure attributes of objects.
G.K12.2.3.1d Questions Scrutinized - Accomplish: Explore the nature of questioning, always aware that better questions deliver the potential for more complete information.
G.K12.5.3.1a Group Dynamics - Know: Adhere to the established rules of interaction in accepting and respecting consensus.
SS.4.FL.1.7 Entrepreneurs are people who start new businesses. Entrepreneurs do not know if their new companies will be successful and earn a profit. Identify ways in which starting a business is risky for entrepreneurs.
SS.4.FL.2.1 Explain that economic wants are desires that can be satisfied by consuming a good, a service, or a leisure activity.
SS.4.FL.2.4 Discuss that whenever people buy something, they incur an opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is given up when a person makes a choice.
SS.4.FL.2.7 Planning for spending can help people make informed choices. Develop a budget plan for spending, saving, and managing income.

b) Learning Goals and Academic Outcomes
Students will:
Understand basic economic principles (goods/services, wants/needs, profit/loss, budgeting, pricing, and how theme parks operate as businesses)
Develop and pitch a business plan–Students will pitch their business plan presentations to mock investor panels
Apply math, writing, and design skills to create a theme park prototype
Create theme park maps, ride designs, signage, and written business plans
Develop teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills
Demonstrate how they support and respond to group work, role assignments (e.g., CEO, designer, marketer), and peer feedback
Develop skills necessary for creative expression through posters, models, digital slides, and branding materials
While Florida’s standards don’t label “advertising” and “marketing” as standalone strands, they are embedded in economic and entrepreneurship benchmarks. Your project can address these through:

These standards support activities such as:
Designing logos and mascots
Creating persuasive advertisements and slogans
Planning marketing strategies for their theme park
Pitching their business to a mock investor panel
 

 

Category

Learning Aids - Sunshine state book sets, robotics kits, puzzle boards, science models, engineering supplies, etc. 

 

Project Description

a) Project and Activities: Students will work in small teams to create their own theme park business. Activities include:
Brainstorming park themes and target audiences
Researching theme parks around the world, understanding how the geographical landscape of a theme park can impact decision-making
Designing logos, mascots, and ride concepts
Budgeting for attractions, staff, and marketing
Building models using recycled materials
Writing persuasive pitches and presenting to a mock “investor panel”
Presenting final project to an audience of 100-150 students, families, school faculty, and community members, fostering a culture of artistic expression, passion, confidence, and communication within the school and beyond.
Speaking with local and national experts in the field
Each phase integrates entrepreneurship standards and cross-curricular connections to math (measurement, budgeting, pricing), ELA (e.g., persuasive writing, presentations), culinary arts, and art/design.
b) Meeting Needs of Students, Classroom, and School This project supports diverse learners through differentiated roles (e.g., designer, marketer, engineer), visual aids, sentence starters, and hands-on materials. It fosters engagement, SEL, and academic growth, especially for students who thrive in creative, collaborative environments. It also builds foundational career awareness and financial literacy, aligning with school goals for enrichment, equity, and innovation.
 

 

Expected Outcomes

a) Student Improvements/Changes
Students will:
Gain confidence in presenting ideas and solving problems
Demonstrate understanding of entrepreneurship concepts
Strengthen collaboration and leadership skills
Connect academic content to real-world applications
b) Measuring Outcomes Outcomes will be assessed through:
Student-created business plans and theme park models
Rubrics evaluating creativity, financial reasoning, and teamwork
Pre/post surveys on entrepreneurship vocabulary and self-efficacy
Teacher observations and student reflections
Project and Activities Students will work in small teams to design a theme park business from the ground up. Activities include:
Brainstorming park themes and target audiences
Creating logos, mascots, and ride concepts
Budgeting for attractions, staff, and marketing
Building models using Makerspace materials (e.g., LEGOs, cardboard, circuits)
Writing persuasive pitches and presenting to a mock “investor panel”
Each phase incorporates entrepreneurship standards and cross-curricular connections to math (budgeting, pricing), ELA (persuasive writing, presentations), and art/design.
 

 

Purpose of Funding

Grant funds will be used to purchase materials that support hands-on learning and business design, including:
Makerspace supplies: LEGOs, craft materials, cardboard, circuits, modeling clay
Presentation tools: Poster boards, markers, display stands
Entrepreneurship-themed books and games: Age-appropriate resources to introduce business concepts
Student incentives: Certificates, mock “investor” badges, and small prizes for pitch presentations
These items directly support the project’s goals by enabling students to prototype, present, and reflect on their theme park businesses in a fun, tangible, engaging, and meaningful way.
 

 

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