Overview

Students often do not understand the effect of entrepreneurship upon domestic and global economies. As a social studies teacher, I realize that connecting the study of world history and entrepreneurship provides students with insight about entrepreneurship in both the ancient and modern world, and how entrepreneurship has contributed to economic growth throughout time. The purpose of this article is to describe an integrated lesson plan that focuses on world economies from 800 B.C. to 200 B.C., with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship. The economies studied are those of the Mediterranean Basin, the Persian Empire, sub-Saharan Africa, the empire of Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic World, China, and northern India. As students learn the characteristics of entrepreneurs, they can more readily grasp the importance of entrepreneurial activity in the development of ancient and modern world economies. (This lesson plan can be easily adapted for use in an American history curriculum.)

Teaching Activity

Day 1
Investigate the economy of the ancient world from 800 B.C. to 200 B.C. through the perspective of one of the economic leaders of this era. Choose one civilization or culture of the Mediterranean Basin, the Persian Empire, sub-Saharan Africa, the empire of Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic World, China, and northern India. Be certain to emphasize the role of merchants and businessmen in the ancient economic scene. In order to do this, you may use Handout 1, The Persion Empire, and Handout 2, Ancient Entrepreneurs: A Case Study.

Introduce the concept of entrepreneurship by asking students to define the term in their own words. After a discussion of various student responses, blend their ideas into the following definitions:

• The ability to recognize and take advantage of opportunities by assuming risks and combining resources to create or distribute goods and services that fulfill human wants.
• The human resources needed to assume the risk of organizing other resources to produce goods and services.

Discuss the definitions with the class. Emphasize the creative and risk-taking aspects of entrepreneurship and how it involves much more than merely "owning your own business."

Objectives Students understand the concept of entrepreneurship and identify the characteristics necessary for entrepreneurial success. Students evaluate their entrepreneurial potential through the questionnaire, Future Choices. Students examine four successful entrepreneurs and compile a list of the characteristics each displayed in achieving their goals. Students apply their understanding of entrepreneurship by creating and writing about an imaginary ancient entrepreneur who lived and conducted business during the selected historical period. Students compare and contrast entrepreneurs in the ancient and modern world. Time Required 6 days Materials Handout 1 -- The Persian Empire Handout 2 -- Ancient Entrepreneurs: A Case Study Handout 3 -- Future Choices Four entrepreneur biographies Newspapers

Day 2
Ask each student to complete Handout 3, Future Choices. Upon completion, read each of the 10 statements and record the number of student responses in each category. Discuss the results after each question, identifying reasons for student responses. Then ask the students whether they think they have entrepreneurial characteristics. Ask if anyone in the class is an entrepreneur or is personally acquainted with an entrepreneur.

Next, have students list the characteristics they believe an entrepreneur must possess. List the student responses on the board and discuss reasons for the inclusion of each one.

Day 3
Organize the students into pairs and give each pair a newspaper or section of a newspaper. Instruct the students to select one advertisement that best exemplifies entrepreneurial characteristics. Then ask students to present their choice to the class.

Day 4
Select four biographies of successful entrepreneurs (e.g., John D. Rockefeller, Sam Walton, Marshall Field, Bill Gates) that will be of interest to the class.

Biographies are available on the Internet at AmericanHeritage — The American Heritage 40, www.americanheritage.com, and Business StartUps Online: Young Guns — Hot Entrepreneurs Under 30, www.entrepreneur.com/mag/article/0,1539,268803,00.html.

Ask students to read each of the assigned biographies and consider the following questions:

• Why do you think each of these entrepreneurs succeeded?
• What characteristics made them successful?
• What problems did they overcome to reach their goals?

In discussing students' answers to these questions, compile a list of the successful attributes each entrepreneur displayed. After the discussion pose the following questions:

• Recalling what you have learned from Handouts 1&2, do you think the people of 800 B.C. to 200 B.C. had the same characteristics as modern entrepreneurs?
• What unique problems did the ancient entrepreneurs face?
• How are they different from today's problems?

Entrepreneurial Characteristics
risk taker	achiever
persuasive	persistent
realist	adventurous
innovative	ambitious
organized	conscientious
independent	cooperative
planner	self-confident
foresighted	goal setter

Place students in groups of three to four. Have the students discuss how ancient entrepreneurs were similar to or different from modern entrepreneurs and compare the problems unique to each era. Each group should then develop at least three comparisons and report its findings to the class.

Day 5
Divide the class into groups of four to five students. Have each group create an imaginary ancient entrepreneur who lived during the assigned time period and geographic region. Encourage students to imagine life during this era and consider the earlier questions:

• Do you think ancient entrepreneurs faced problems similar to those people face today?
• Did ancient entrepreneurs share the same characteristics that make modern entrepreneurs successful?

Appoint a group leader to head the discussion and a recorder to present the group's findings. Allow twenty minutes for the discussion period. Remind students their work must be historically accurate. Encourage them to draw parallels between ancient economies and entrepreneurship and their modern counterparts.

As a culminating activity, assign the Ancient Entrepreneur Paper. In the paper, each student creates an ancient entrepreneur and chronicles the achievements and failures of that person's business venture. The paper must display knowledge of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial characteristics while at the same time retaining historical accuracy. Some examples of ancient entrepreneurs created by my students include:

• a Persian Empire innkeeper who runs a bed and breakfast located 60 miles east of Sardis on the Royal Road, 500 B.C.;
• a Kushite exporter who trades iron agricultural tools, weapons, and pottery to merchants in Egypt, East Africa, Arabia, and India, 200 B.C.; and
• an Etruscan metalworks, small business owner who produces weapons, household implements, and sculptures and sells them in the Latin Peninsula, 600 B.C.

Day 6
To conclude the unit, discuss the Ancient Entrepreneur papers with the class. Read the most creative and original examples to the students. Finally, discuss whether students think entrepreneurship is more difficult today than it was in the ancient world.