Lesson: The Story of Kalpavriksha

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  
  • CTE-AFNR.912.8009110.5.7 - Evaluate the strengths/talents of team members needed to achieve a desired task.
  • CTE-AFNR.912.8009110.5.10 - Identify characteristics of effective teams.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, "The Story of Kalpavriksha." See CPALMS resource ID 214860.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson will prepare students for careers in any business sector, particularly in agriculture, by understanding the importance of defining team members' roles, recognizing the strengths of the team, and acknowledging the differences between planned and actual outcomes. Through role play, students will grasp the significance of identifying the valuable contributions each team member can add. Additionally, presenting their findings will enhance their communication and oral presentation skills.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Identify the roles that partners need to play at each stage of a business's life cycle.
  • Explore the diverse skill sets and group dymanics required for successful business operations.
  • Present ideas for a business meeting using characters from the case study.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students with prior knowledge of the following would be helpful to better understand the case study.

  • Basic concepts of team dynamics.
  • The importance of defining team member roles.
  • Functions and roles of management within a business.
  • Presenting information to the group.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What are the characteristics of a successful team when launching a business?
  • Why is defining clear roles among partners important in business?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. The teacher will start the class by introducing key terms including business, agriculture business management, group dynamics, business partners, and team members. The teacher will say each term aloud, encouraging students to reply with the meanings of the words. A few students will be invited to share their understanding of the terms. If other students want to add to or disagree with a peer’s interpretation or definition, they will be encouraged to do so. At the end, the teacher will provide the meanings of the words.
     • Following this, the teacher will pose a question to the students: "What are the essential skills needed to start a agriculture based business?" As students share various ideas, this discussion will lay a solid foundation for the case study.
  2. The teacher will split the class into three groups and distribute printed copies of the case study, "The story of Kalpavriksha" (see CPALMS Resource ID # 214860) for everyone to read individually. The teacher will initiate the discussion by asking, "What do you know about each partner based on the case study?" Students will be allowed to share their thoughts. Following their initial responses, each group will engage in role play.
     • The first group, portraying "Mr. Poudel and Mr. Bhandari," will examine the case through a financial lens.
     • The second group, acting as "Mr. Yadav," will analyze the case from a project management perspective.
     • The third group, assuming the role of "Mr. Dahal," will explore the case from a marketing viewpoint.
  3. Tell students that the four business members have decided to meet and discuss strategies moving forward. First, they need to reflect and think about their strengths and areas of improvement. Students will then present ideas for this business meeting, first practicing within their groups, ensuring that they address the following questions. Teachers will hand out the attached group discussion worksheet to all the students. Teacher will remind students that the "you and your" in questions refers to the characters they are role playing.
     • What is your strength? (Person assigned to you from the case)
     • What could you have done better?
     • What is the strength of other people in your group? (Persons involved in the case besides the role you are playing)
     • What can they do better?
     • How can you play a role to bring the team back together and focus on the success of the business?
  4. After the group discussions are completed, each group will be asked to present their findings, specifically addressing the final question: How can you play a role to bring the team back together and focus on the success of the business?
  5. Following each role-play, the teacher will invite the other groups to share whether their findings align with the presenting group.
     • Response for this will come from questions 3 and 4. If their views do align, they will be asked to explain why.
     • If not, the groups will be asked to share their thoughts and explain their perspective.
     • This process will be repeated with all three groups. By the end of this activity, several strategies will have been identified that each team member can implement to contribute to the success of the business.
  6. Following the presentations, the teacher will return to the main question of the case: What strategies can be implemented to effectively leverage each team member’s unique strengths to succeed in the agriculture-based industry?
  7. Each group will propose two strategies that Kalpavriksha should adopt for the success of their business. Teacher should remind groups to propose their strategy based on their presentations and previous discussions.
  8. The teacher will prompt the students to discuss:
     • Have you seen, heard, or read about any organization that has encountered a similar situation? If so, were they able to resolve it? If yes, how did they manage to solve it?
     • This question will link the learning to actual situations that students may have encountered and will align with the essence of the course.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Students will be reminded to respect their peers opinions and to maintain a professional tone in their communications, even if the discussion brings disagreements.
  • This lesson can be divided over 2 class period.