Amherst County High School
Course Syllabus
Course: Entrepreneurship, Fall 2015
Instructor: Steven Wilder
Email: swilder@amherst.k12.va.us
Phone: 434-946-2898 (school)
434-528-6499, ext. 30915 (voicemail)
Room: 141, Technology Building
Period: 5
Office Hours: Weekday afternoons after school, 2:45 pm to 3:30 pm
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Course Description:
This course introduces students to the exciting world of creating, owning, and launching
their own business. Students will learn concepts and techniques for planning an
innovative business and living the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
Course Objectives:
Objectives and competencies for this course focus on:
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Demonstrating Workplace Readiness Skills: Personal Qualities and People Skills
Demonstrating Workplace Readiness Skills: Professional Knowledge and Skills
Demonstrating Workplace Readiness Skills: Technology Knowledge and Skills
Examining All Aspects of an Industry
Addressing Elements of Student Life
Understanding Entrepreneurship
Understanding Business Ownership
Understanding Financial Statements
Understanding Marketing Principles
Understanding Basic Economic Principles
Developing Sales and Customer Service Skills
Planning an Entrepreneurial Business
Textbook:
No textbook for this course. Curriculum is delivered through a series of internet activities,
projects, and real-world experiences.
Communication Between Student and Instructor:
The primary means of communication between students and instructor is face-to-face
during class times.
The instructor is available for office hours in Room 141 (see scheduled office hours
above). No appointment is necessary. There may be occasions when the instructor
cannot be available at these times, so it is best to verify availability in advance.
Communication is also available via email through the Amherst County Public Schools
email system. Email can be sent to the instructor through the email system at
swilder@amherst.k12.va.us. In emergency situations the instructor may be reached by cell
phone at the number above. Students may expect an email reply from the instructor within
24 hours in most cases. The instructor will make every effort to meet this expectation, but
delays may occur due. Weekends and holidays will extend this reaction time.
Phone messages may be left for the instructor using the Amherst County Public Schools
messaging system. To use this system dial 434-528-6499 and enter the instructor’s
voicemail number: 30915. Alternatively you may call the school number at 434-946-2898
and leave a message with the office. The instructor cannot be reached during the day by
phone other than by leaving a message.
Attendance:
Students are expected to attend class. Absent students will lose valuable learning time
and will not gain the background knowledge required for following lessons.
The Amherst County Public Schools attendance policy applies.
Grades:
There are five graded components in this course; Assignments, Quizzes, Tests,
Homework, and 9-Week Assessments. Each component is described below:
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Assignments
o Multiple assignments are due each week.
o Assignments are based upon a legal problem that must be solved using legal
analysis.
o Assignments may be written problems, discussions, quizzes, or short
answer.
o Each assignment is worth 10 points per day. For example, an assignment
requiring two days to complete will be worth 20 points.
o Assignments make up 40% of the final grade.
Quizzes
o A quiz is usually given after each lesson. However, not all lessons will have
a quiz.
o Quizzes may focus on vocabulary or may require practical application of law
to real-world problems. They are learning exercises more than they are
testing situations.
o Quizzes are open book, open notes, open internet, and untimed.
o Quizzes may be taken cooperatively in study groups.
o Quizzes are worth 10 points each.
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o Quizzes make up 10% of the final grade.
Tests
o A test is given at the end of each unit:
o Test format varies.
o Tests are open book, open notes, and open internet.
o Some tests will be presented in a cooperative format.
o Tests make up 20% of the final grade..
Homework
o Homework is assigned on an as-needed basis.
o Typically homework will be in the form of a research assignment or project
o Homework makes up 10% of the final grade.
Nine-Week Assessments
o A comprehensive assessment is given at the end of each grading period.
o Assessments may be given in any format.
o 9-week assessments makeup 20% of the final grade.
Grading Scale:
Graded Item
Points Each
Assignments
10 points per day
40
Quizzes
10 points each
10
Tests
Points vary
20
Homework
Points vary
10
9-Week
Points vary
Assessments
20
TOTAL
100
Grade
Points
Percent
A+
980 - 1000
98 – 100%
A
950 - 979
95 – 97.9%
A-
920 - 949
92 – 94.9%
B+
890 - 919
89 – 91.9%
B
860 - 889
86 – 88.9%
B-
830 - 859
83 – 85.9%
C+
800 - 829
80 – 82.9%
% of Final Grade
C
770 - 799
77 – 79.9%
C-
740 - 769
74 – 76.9%
D+
710 - 739
71 – 73.9%
D
680 - 709
68 – 70.9%
D-
650 - 679
65 – 67.9%
F
0 - 649
0 – 64.9%
Missed Work or Late Work:
Missed work is work that has been missed due to absenteeism. Late work is work that
was not handed in on time for reasons other than absence.
Any missed work will receive a grade of zero unless makeup is completed within the
following time limits:
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One day absent = one day
Two days absent = two days
Three days absent or more = one week
It is the student’s responsibility to request missed work within the stated limits. Students
must request work from the instructor. The student’s request should not interfere with the
flow of the class. Asking for work at the beginning of class or the end of class is the best
approach. An email request is fine if within the time limits specified.
Missed work will not be the same work presented to the rest of the class, but will cover the
same learning objectives. This may require some time before the instructor can provide
work to the student.
Late work will not be accepted unless approval has been granted by the instructor.
Normally approval will only be granted in extreme circumstances.
Work that is missed or late due to school activities such as testing, field trips, athletics,
etc., made up without any penalty.
Grade Appeals:
Students may appeal any grade. Schedule a conference with the instructor to initiate the
appeal process. Students should be prepared to justify and defend the basis for their
appeal.
Grade Improvement:
Students wishing to improve a grade may request alternative assignments or additional
assignments Grade improvement will be granted strictly at the discretion of the instructor.
Students seeking grade improvement should not wait until the end of a grading period to
make the request. Students should not expect grade improvement requests to be granted
more than once or twice in a semester.
Supplies:
Students need to provide their own basic classroom supplies.
Technology Requirements:
Students are expected to use Moodle for this class. Microsoft Office 2003 or higher is
required in order to download and submit assignments. Internet research will be a required
element in the course.
Academic Dishonesty:
Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated.
Cooperative learning is used throughout the course. Cooperative learning is expected and
appreciated. Good cooperative learning includes sharing of research duties, discussing
issues and answers, debating the correct response, or helping another student learn a
concept.
Cheating is not the same as cooperative learning. Cheating includes copying answers,
supplying answers to others, not contributing to the group while benefiting from the group's
product, doing one assignment and passing it on to another group member, or presenting
another student’s work as your own work. is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
Plagiarism is the use of another's work while claiming it as your own, or use of published
material without proper citation. The most common form of plagiarism is cutting and
pasting from the internet. Do not lift and paste in your assignments. If you feel it is
necessary to do so (e.g. you need a quote) then remember to cite the work and make it
clear that you are not stealing someone else's intellectual property. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated.
Persons caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive a zero for the assignment with no
opportunity for makeup.
Student Conduct:
Professional conduct is expected in the classroom and online. Acts of verbal abuse,
intimidation, harassment, or bullying will not be tolerated. Students are expected to follow
the Amherst High School Code of Conduct at all times.
The following classroom-specific rules apply:
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Focus on learning
Participate
Pay attention
Do not disrupt the class
Use the computers properly
Violations of the Code of Conduct or the Classroom Rules will result in one or more of the
following actions: warning, student-teacher conference, referral, detention, call to parent,
or other disciplinary action.
Syllabus Subject to Change:
All elements of this syllabus are subject to change. Changes to the syllabus will be
announced to the class.