Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Business Studies
Lesson Topic: short-term and long-term finance needs of a business
Learning Objective/s:
  • Identify the typical short‑term finance needs of a business.
  • Explain the typical long‑term finance needs of a business.
  • Compare short‑term and long‑term sources of finance and match them to appropriate needs.
  • Evaluate factors (cost, risk, control, time‑horizon) that influence the choice of finance.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides summarising short‑ and long‑term needs
  • Printed handout with comparison table
  • Finance‑source cards for matching activity
  • Case‑study worksheets
  • Calculators
  • Exit‑ticket slips
 Introduction:

Begin with a quick poll: “If you were opening a lemonade stand, what money would you need today and what would you need next year?” Use this to activate prior knowledge of daily versus growth funding. Explain that by the end of the lesson students will be able to list, describe and compare short‑term and long‑term finance needs and select suitable sources.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’): Students write three examples of money a business needs today and three for the future.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10’): Present short‑term vs long‑term finance needs using slides and the comparison table.
  3. Matching activity (15’): In groups, match finance‑source cards to the appropriate short‑term or long‑term need; teacher circulates to check understanding.
  4. Case‑study analysis (15’): Groups analyse a brief business scenario and decide which finance sources best meet the identified needs; record decisions on worksheet.
  5. Whole‑class debrief (10’): Groups share choices; teacher highlights correct matches and discusses cost, risk and control factors.
  6. Exit ticket (5’): Each student writes one key difference between short‑term and long‑term finance and one source they would recommend for a given need.
Conclusion:

Recap the main differences between short‑term and long‑term finance and the importance of matching sources to needs. Collect exit tickets as a quick retrieval check. For homework, assign a short research task: find a real‑world example of a business that recently used a long‑term finance source and summarise why it was appropriate.