Unit Title: Business Law

Grade level: 11th Grade

Length of unit: 3 weeks
Stage 1 Desired Results
Meaning
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations:

Essential Questions:

There is an ethical and social responsibility of business

conduct.

How are ethical decision made?

What is the relationship between business and ethics?

Business ethical practices directly affect reputation and

ability to be competitive in the marketplace

How does the ethical decisions of a business impact the

community?

Consequences of unethical behavior effect business

success.

What are business efforts to increase ethical behavior?

What are some of important considerations in maintaining

ethical responsibility?

Knowledge & Skills Acquisition

Learning Goals: (e.g., Iowa/Common Core standards.)
National Business Standards https://www.nbea.org/index.html

I. Basics of the Law

Achievement Standard: Analyze the relationship between ethics and the law and descri be sources of the law, the structure of the court system,
different classifications of procedural law, and different classifications of substantive law.
II. Contract Law, Law of Sales, and Consumer Law
Achievement Standard: Analyze the relationships between contract law, law of sales, and consumer law.
III. Agency and Employment
Achievement Standard: Analyze the role and importance of agency law, and employment law as they relate to the conduct of business in the
national marketplaces.
Iowa common core - 21 st Century Skills:

SS.912.PSCL.6
-

Understand the purposes and functions of law.

SS.9-12.PSCL.1
-

Understand ways citizens participate in the political process at local, state, and national levels.

21.912.ES.1
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Communicate and work productively with others, incorporating different perspectives and cross
cultural understanding, to increase innovation and the quality of work
-

Use all the appropriate principles of communication effectively

Agree to disagree in a respectful manner in a group dynamic

Use different perspectives to increase innovation and the quality of work

Students will know

Students will be able to

- Fundamental business law concepts.

o Torts
o Negligence
o Strict liabilities
o Product Liabilities
- The different type of business ethics and how they
affect business decisions.
o Formalism
o Deontology
o Ethical fundamentalism
o Utilitarianism
The court structure and trail proceeding.
How torts, negligence, strict liabilities effect business
decision and ethics.
How to logically think through ethical decisions
The difference between torts and crimes.

Resources/Materials:
Notecards: for students to do vocabulary words
Articles/web access
Access to New York Times
Access to Wall Street Journal
Access to USA Today
o Cases
New York Times Co vs. Sullivan
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company vs. Sawyer

Explain how ethics effect business decisions.

Understand how the court stricter and how it rules on
business cases.
Differentiate between contract law, law of sale and
consumer law. Also, seeing the relationship on how
they all connect and effect each other.
Apply the code of ethics to various issues confronted
by businesses.
Analyze the nature of ethical character traits.
Critically examine how the law relates to ethics.
Describe how to resolve ethical and legal conflicts.
Interpret the nature of tort law
Understand the elements of negligence and strict
liability.
Able to identify the loop holes in tort, negligence,
strict liabilities and product liabilities.

 Miranda vs. Arizona

United States vs. Windsor
National Federation of Independent Business vs. Sebelius
Texas vs. Johnson
o PowerPoint and projector
o Business Journals
o White boards

Types of assessment: Selected-Response (tests, quizzes); Personal Communication (interview, oral exam,
discussion); Written Response (short constructed response questions, entrance/exit slips, essays); Performance
Assessment (role-play, Simulation, labs, dramatization)
Pre-assessment:
Double-bubble map: Have student write as much as they know about business laws and their thoughts on morals. Students
will be comparing differences and similarities between the two. This will be used to help assess what the students know and
will be referred to throughout the unit. Will do another double-map mid-way though to check for growth and learning.

Formative Assessment:
Double-bubble map
between business law and ethics
- intentional torts, ethics, and business law

Roundtable: discussion after the (first) trail in class. Bring back the idea of business and ethics.
Jigsaw of strict Liabilities and Product Liabilities. Will also be giving presentations.
Think Pair- Share: Criminal law and how to properly handle the situation including the ethics involved with make trail

decisions.
Graffiti: What negligence means.

Make and defend: Given an ethical dilemma and defending personal ideas on how to handle the situation.
Vocabulary quizzes (two): one on ethics and one on torts and negligence
Scaffold classroom trial (performance based): the understanding of the court process and trail proceedings.
Class discussions:
- On the best ethical decisions
- trots, ethics, and business
- Negligence
Reflection
- Intentional torts.

Summative Assessment:
Student trial: Students will each be a part in a trail that is focused on moral decisions with in business. There will be two
different sides: the defendant and plaintiff. There will be a layer for each side and a help group. There will also be a jury for
the rest of the class. Each side will have to present a case using different laws and terms. Overall, there will be a moral
issue at hand that will need to be settled.

Unit Exam: There are a lot of terms that will be presented throughout the lesson. There will be a test on the exam and
application of the term in different scenarios. The exam will be focused more on understanding torts.

B-Law Unit Calendar (45 min classes)

Monday

Tuesday

1
Ethics
Opening activity: Journal
with a quote and what
that means based on the
objectives of the day.
Pre-assessment: Doublebubble map: people are
going to compare ethics
and business. To be turned
in at the end of class.
Lecture (PPT)
-

Go over the
different forms of
ethics: Formalism,
deontology,
ethical
fundamentalism,
utilitarianism.
Go over the 5 step
process to
discussion morals.

Make and Defend

-

Students will be put

into groups. In their

Wednesday

Thursday

Court System/Trial
Procedures

Court System/Trial
Procedures

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Begin a two day trail:

Round tables:
- The students will be able
to lead the discussion
however, I will have
prompting questions such
as:

New York Times Co. vs.

Sullivan

Each person will be

randomly assigned
a position as they
enter the room.
There will be a
step-by-step guide
to help with the
trial and
understanding
how the process
works.

How does the

court process
ensure justice for
all?
How do laws
influence business
practices?
What is the
connection between
business and ethics?

Friday

Criminal Law

Intentional tort

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Lecture (PPT)

Lecture (PPT):

State vs. Federal

crimes

What is a tort/
intentional torts

Defenses to
criminal liability

Tort vs. crime

Crimes against
people

Crimes against
property

Think/Pair/Share:
-

There will be two

different cases the
students will be
looking at. They
will have to make
decisions on the
cases. They will
also need to
explain what

Double-bubble-map:

Students will do a
double-bubblemap to see the
connection
between business,
trots, and ethics.
They will then
present their
information to a
group and turn in
the group doublebubble-map at the
end of class.

groups, they will be

given a business
ethical dilemma.
They will need to
choose a side then
come up with an
argument as to
why they choose
that side. One
member of the
group will present
their argument to
the class (while
having a second
dilemma if
needed).

How does the ethical

decisions of a
business impact the
community?

What are business

efforts to increase
ethical behavior?

What are some of

important
considerations in
maintaining ethical
responsibility?

ethical decisions
were made.
Quiz: Ethics

Different cases,
what the ethics
were and how it
was handled in
court.

Intentional tort

Negligence

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Lecture (PPT):
-

Different torts:
battery, assault,
transfer intent,
defense of
property, false
imprisonment,
emotional distress,
defamation,
disparagement,
invasion of privacy,
appropriation,
intrusion, and
public disclosure of
private facts.

Find article in the news

and write a short reflection
on the article. Due at the
end of class. The summary
must include:
-

Describe the injury

and how it
occurred

What actions
happened after
the injury

What tort(s) were

violated?

How was the issue

resolved?

What where the

ethics that effect

Strict Liabilities/ Product

Liabilities

Strict Liabilities/Product
Liabilities

Graffiti Negligence

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Opening activity Journal

with a quote. Relate back
to the objectives of the
day/EQ/EU.

Lecture (PPT):

Jigsaw:

Present information to the

other group. Each group
will present their
information to one of the
group.

Three step process

to proving
negligence

Rotations around the room

with cases

Need to show the

steps to proving a
case is or is not
negligent.

Ticket out:

Reflection on one
of the cases.

Was it negligence,
what torts were
involved, how/why
does this happen
in a business
setting, what are
ways to prevent it,
how did the
decision effect the
business and their
ethics.

The class will be

split up into two
groups. Each
group will either
get strict liabilities
or product
liabilities. They will
have to create a
short presentation
to teach the other
group. They will
use their book, the
web, and a
packet of
information
provided by me.

Students will need

to ask at least two
question to the
presenters. Each
group will pick one
question to be
brought to the
class for a class
discussion.

Trial roles preferences are

due.

10
Work day
Quiz: over criminal law,
intentional torts, and
negligence.
Students will get their
placements and start
working on collecting
information and creating
their argument.

the business
decision and
choice that was
made.

11

12

Work Day

Work Day

Students are working

with their groups to
gather facts and create
an argument.

Students are working

with their groups to
gather facts and create
an argument. Lawyers
will have the chance to
meet and compare
cases.

Jury members are

reviewing the different
torts and laws and go
through screen out
process.

16

13
Trial
Students will come into
a different designed
room. They will start
right away.

14

15

Exam Review

Test

Jeopardy game to
review concepts and
vocabulary.

25 multiple choice and

5 essay response
questions.

Jury members are

reviewing the different
torts and laws and go
through screen out
process.
17

18

19

20

Class Trial
As a class we will be performing a trial. For this trial, there will be a plaintiff and a defendant. Both the
defendant and the plaintiff will have a lawyer and a team of four to help gather facts. There will also be
one expert witness. The case will be on trial in front of a jury, which will be portrayed by the rest of the
class. The teacher will be representing the judge. Each position will have a set of rules and task they
need to complete, which are outlined below. Each position will have three days to prepare their
argument and get familiar with the case. Both sides will present an opening argument, a rebuttal, and a
closing argument. After all of this, the jury will listen, ask questions, and come to a conclusion.
Please note: the only people that will have access to the initial case is the defendant, the plaintiff, and
the expert witness. Each side will need to listen the information the plaintiff and defendant are sharing
and come up with an argument.
Position descriptions:
Jury: determines the facts in a case, primarily through their acceptance or rejection of the testimony
offered by various witnesses for both sides. Each jury member will ask one question to better
understand the case. The question must be related to the materials covered in class.
Plaintiff: Provide the information to what happened and have examples of torts that where violated
(with explanation) by the actions of the defendant.
Defendant: Provide the information of what happened. Be willing to help provided reasons why no torts
where violated.
Plaintiff Lawyer: Will address the jury, present the arguments, and question witnesses in order to
convince the jury of the defendant's guilt.
Defendant Lawyer: Will address the jury, present the arguments, and question witnesses in order to
convince the jury of the defendants not guilty
Fact checkers: Help the lawyers gather all the facts needed and help to understand the laws in place.
Expert Witness: Will know the specific facts in the case and use their specialized knowledge to help the
jury understand complex evidence.
Things to NOTE:
The Jury will be individually graded and the other positions will be based on a group grade.
At the end of the trial each jury member will be asked to complete a written reflection as to why the
voted the way they did. Using factual evidence from the trail and stating the laws that are in place that
helped persuade them to vote one way or another.
You will be ranking the top two positions you would like by Thursday and you will know your position on
Friday. The trail will happen on Wednesday.
Please view rubric for more information.

The Case:
H. B. Fuller Co. of St. Paul is a leading manufacturer of industrial glues. Its mission
statement says the company will conduct business legally and ethically. It
donates 5 percent of its profits to charity. Now, it is the subject of numerous
media reports pointing out the alternative uses of its shoemakers glue, Resistol, in
many South American countries. Many homeless children in these countries have
become addicted to Resistols fumes and buy it just for the cheap high. The
problem is so widespread that glue-sniffers in these countries are called
resistoleros. Resistol glue manufacturers in Europe have added a foul-smelling
oil to their glue that discourages abusers. Fuller fears that the smell may also
discourage legitimate users.
Plantiff: South American Representative - For making children high
Defense: Fuller (keep in mind he still want to have a business and make a profit)

Rubric for Lawyers/fact checkers/ defendant/plaintiff/expert witness:

4

Respect for
Other Team

All statements, body

language, and
responses were
respectful and
appropriate
language was used.

Statements and
responses were
respectful and used
appropriate
language, but once
or twice body
language was not.

Most statements and

responses were
respectful and in
appropriate
language, but there
was one sarcastic
remark.

Statements,
responses and/or
body language were
consistently not
respectful.

Information

All information
presented in the
debate was clear,
accurate, and
thorough.

Most information
presented in the
debate was clear,
accurate and
thorough.

Most information
presented in the
debate was clear
and accurate, but
was not usually
thorough.

Information had
several inaccuracies
OR was usually not
clear.

Rebuttal

All counterarguments were

accurate, relevant,
and strong.

Most counterarguments were

accurate, relevant,
and strong.

Most counterCounter-arguments
arguments were
were not accurate
accurate and
and/or relevant
relevant, but several
were weak.

Use of
Facts/Statistics

Every major point

was well supported
with several relevant
facts, statistics,
and/or examples.

Every major point

was adequately
supported with
relevant facts,
statistics, and/or
examples.

Every major point

Every point was not
was supported with supported.
facts, statistics
and/or examples, but
the relevance of
some was
questionable.

Organization

All arguments were

clearly tied to an
idea (premise) and
organized in a tight,
logical fashion.

Most arguments
were clearly tied to
an idea (premise)
and organized in a
tight, logical fashion.

All arguments were Arguments were not

clearly tied to an
clearly tied to an idea
idea (premise) but
(premise).
the organization was
sometimes not clear
or logical.

Understanding
of Topic

The team clearly

understood the topic
in-depth and
presented their
information forcefully
and convincingly.

The team clearly

understood the topic
in-depth and
presented their
information with
ease.

The team seemed to

understand the main
points of the topic
and presented those
with ease.

CATEGORY

The team did not

show an adequate
understanding of the
topic.

Jury Paper Rubric

4

Evidence of
Persuasion

Maintains a clear
position
throughout the
entire paper.
Opposing view
mentioned and
then refuted,
making case
stronger.

Maintains a clear
position
throughout the
entire paper.
Opposing view not
mentioned or
mentioned but not
well refuted.

Moves from one

side to the other,
never maintaining
a solid position.

Does not establish

a clear position.

Evidence of
Supporting
Research

Uses evidence
from the book
frequently as well
as research from
outside sources
related to the
theme/crime to
strengthen the
arguments.

Uses evidence
from the book and
outside sources
related to
theme/crime to
sufficiently
supports argument

Uses evidence
from the book or
outside sources
occasionally
and/or without
clear relationship
to arguments.

Does not show any

evidence of
research.

Organization

Introduction sets
up the issues and
states position.
Body paragraphs
each contain one
clear argument
relating to the
position as well as
evidence to
support the
argument.
Conclusion
summarizes and
convinces readers
to believe writers
position.

Introduction
clearly states a
position. Body
paragraphs each
contain an
argument
supporting the
main position with
some evidence to
support the
argument.
Conclusion
summarizes main
points.

Introduction
mentions main
issue, but doesnt
take a clear
position. Body
paragraphs are
not focused on
support for one
argument and/or
they do not
present adequate
evidence.
Conclusion missing
or a repeat of the
introduction.

No distinction
between
introduction, body,
and conclusion.

Composition

Uses a variety of
sentence
structures and
lengths. Word
choice strengthens
the arguments.
Rare errors in
spelling and
punctuation.

Uses some variety

in sentence
structure and
length. Word
choice is
appropriate for the
assignment.
Occasional errors
in punctuation and
spelling.

Uses little
sentence variety
or poor sentence
structure Word
choice neither
enhances nor
takes away from
purpose of
assignment.
Frequent errors in
spelling and
punctuation.

Includes frequent
run-on and
fragmented
sentences,
frequent spelling
and punctuation
errors, and
inappropriate word
choice that does
not convey
meaning.

Interprets and
presents examples
from the text that
clearly demonstrate
their relationship to
the main points of
the argument.

Interprets and
presents examples
from text that
show a
relationship to the
main points of the
argument.

Presents examples
from the text that
author loosely
connects to the
main points of the
argument.

No examples from
selection used.

Comprehension
of Literary
Selection