MBE 5000
Introduction to the Free Enterprise System
3 credits

This course provides an introduction to the free enterprise system for K-12 educators. Blending a study of economics, accounting and finance, management, and classic marketing models, the student will develop an understanding of business principles involved in running a successful, for-profit enterprise. Topics include: supply and demand, cost analysis, forms of business organizations, product promotion, pricing, and placement. Visits to area businesses will lend a "real world" experience to classroom theory.

MBE 5001
Applied Business Concepts for Educators
3 credits

This course is a continuation of the exploration of the free enterprise system for K-12 educators. Building upon the basic business experiences from MBE 5000, the student will add selected analytical tools to probe more fully the strengths and weaknesses of various business enterprises. Additional business topics will be introduced throughout the course. These include: financial and break-even analysis, understanding money and capital markets, product research and development, production issues, and team building. Central to developing student understanding will be the use of a team-based, computer simulation, a project that will run throughout the course. Continued visits to area businesses will afford the student the opportunity to more perceptively evaluate those enterprises.

Prerequisite(s): MBE 5000

MBE 5002
Business in America: Understanding and Application
3 credits

Building upon the business concepts introduced in MBE 5000 and MBE 5001, the student will gain a deeper understanding of the relationships required among marketing, production, and finance and explore the additional issues of quality, ethics, human resources, and business law. These additional topics, coupled with a detailed discussion of macroeconomic issues, will provide the student with an understanding of the complex challenges a company faces from the business/economic environment. Business simulation programs will be used to strengthen this understanding and its application. Continued visits to operating businesses will provide a forum to discuss the challenges that are reshaping the American business climate.

Prerequisite(s): MBE 5001

MBE 5003
Strategies for Effective Teaching of Economics/Business
3 credits

This course will focus on the fundamentals of effective classroom teaching, with an emphasis on specific strategies for meeting the developmental learning needs of a diverse population of students. Multiple strategies will be considered for (1) planning, designing, and delivering lessons that make learning meaningful for students; (2) creating an environment in the classroom conducive to learning; and (3) treating all students equitably in the classroom. The effective teaching skills required by Charlotte Danielson's "Framework for Teaching" and by the Delaware Professional Teaching Standards will be emphasized in the course. The lesson planning and design component of the course will focus on the Delaware Content Standards for social studies, with a special emphasis on the standard for economics. Requirements include six (6) clock hours of field observation and a related project.

Prerequisite(s): MBE 5002

MBE 5004
Methods of Teaching Business and Economics
3 credits

Participants examine the specific learning skills required for the teaching of economics (as related to business and a free market economy) with a focus on the Delaware Content Standards for social studies. Theories of lesson planning, as well as methods of evaluating student progress in social studies/economics, are studied and applied. Requirements include six (6) hours of field experience and development of one lesson and one unit in a chosen area of economics.

Prerequisite(s): MBE 5003