Direct answer
What is an easy business simulation lesson for a substitute teacher?
Use a no-login simulator and one fair comparison. Students choose a business question, predict what will happen, record a baseline, change one decision, run the same period again, and support a recommendation with two measures. The substitute teacher facilitates the sequence; students do not need a lecture on every dashboard control.
Learning target: I can compare two simulation runs and make a bounded recommendation using numerical evidence, a tradeoff, and a next test. Evidence to collect: one student record per learner or team plus an individual exit ticket.
Two-minute teacher setup
- Choose one option: the Coffee Shop Simulator for pricing, staffing, queue, quality, and waste; the Lemonade Stand Simulator for price, batch size, demand, and waste; or the Bookstore Simulator for inventory, events, service, and cash.
- Open the simulator on student devices, one device per group, or the teacher display. No account is required.
- Tell students: “Change one decision only. Keep the comparison fair. Highest profit is not automatically the best answer.”
- Choose the timed route below. If access fails, move directly to the paper case.
Useful terms: a baseline is the first run used for comparison; an outcome is a result such as profit or cash; a driver helps explain the outcome, such as customers served or waste; a guardrail is a result that must not become unacceptable, such as quality, safety, or customer trust.
Ready-to-read lesson script
25-minute route
- 0–3: Read the learning target and fair-test rule.
- 3–6: Students choose one question and predict.
- 6–11: Run and record the baseline.
- 11–16: Change one decision and repeat.
- 16–22: Calculate two changes and identify one tradeoff.
- 22–25: Submit the individual exit ticket.
45-minute route
- 0–5: Introduce the target, terms, and responsible-use rule.
- 5–10: Form teams and write a prediction.
- 10–17: Run and record the baseline.
- 17–24: Run a one-variable comparison.
- 24–30: Repeat the changed run to check stability.
- 30–39: Calculate, diagnose, and recommend.
- 39–45: Pair-check evidence and submit an exit ticket.
60-minute route
- 0–8: Model one input, driver, outcome, and guardrail.
- 8–15: Teams select a question and precommit measures.
- 15–32: Complete baseline, changed, and repeat runs.
- 32–42: Calculate changes and test another explanation.
- 42–51: Draft a claim-evidence-tradeoff recommendation.
- 51–56: Exchange one evidence check with another team.
- 56–60: Revise and submit an individual exit ticket.
Choose one investigation question
Students may propose another question, but it must change one controllable input and name an outcome, driver, and guardrail before the run begins.
Printable student evidence record
One decision, one fair comparison
Name or class identifier: __________________________ Simulator: __________________________
Decision question:
Prediction and reason:
Input changed: __________________________ Inputs held constant: __________________________
| Measure and unit | Baseline | Changed run | Repeat | Change from baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome: | ||||
| Driver: | ||||
| Guardrail: | ||||
| Optional measure: |
What pattern does the evidence show?
One tradeoff, surprise, or model limitation:
Recommendation for this model:
Next controlled test and stop rule:
No-device backup
Coffee shop staffing case
A fictional coffee shop tests one added barista for the same 90-minute morning period. Price, menu, promotion, ingredient quality, and starting inventory stay constant. The extra barista costs $27 for the period.
| Measure | Baseline: 2 baristas | Test: 3 baristas |
|---|---|---|
| Customers arriving | 88 | 90 |
| Orders completed | 66 | 79 |
| Average order contribution before labor | $4.20 | $4.20 |
| Average wait | 9 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Quality score | 82 / 100 | 85 / 100 |
| Waste cost | $18 | $20 |
- Calculate the change in completed orders and average wait.
- Calculate added contribution before the added labor and waste: extra orders × $4.20.
- Calculate the test's estimated net change: added contribution − $27 added labor − $2 added waste.
- Name one benefit, one tradeoff or uncertainty, and one reason the arrival counts matter.
- Recommend keep, revise, or stop for the next modeled period. State one repeat condition and a stop rule.
Important: these are fictional model results. Do not generalize them into a wage, staffing, food-safety, or real-business recommendation.
Teacher look-fors and suggested answers
Paper case: completed orders increase by 13; average wait falls by 4 minutes. Added contribution is 13 × $4.20 = $54.60. Estimated net change is $54.60 − $27 − $2 = $25.60 for this modeled period. Quality rises three points, while waste rises $2. Arrivals are not identical, so demand variation may explain part of the improvement.
A supported recommendation is to repeat the three-barista test during another comparable 90-minute period before adopting it. A reasonable stop rule is to stop or revise if added contribution does not cover added labor and waste, or if quality, safety, workload, or cash falls below an acceptable boundary. Other recommendations can earn full credit when the evidence and boundary are explicit.
Evidence of success
- The changed input and held-constant inputs are clear.
- Measures include units and calculations can be reconstructed.
- The claim uses at least two results, not profit alone.
- A tradeoff, uncertainty, or model limitation is named.
- The next test changes one input and includes a stop rule.
Common corrections
- If several inputs changed, label the result inconclusive.
- If only profit is recorded, add a driver and guardrail.
- If a percentage lacks a base, calculate the absolute change first.
- If the recommendation says “always,” limit it to the modeled runs.
- If one student operated, still collect individual reasoning.
Classroom handoff note
Class / period: ____________________ Route used: 25 / 45 / 60 / paper
Simulator or case used: ______________________________________________________________
Work collected or saved here: _________________________________________________________
Most students completed: prediction / baseline / comparison / repeat / recommendation / exit
Concept that needs follow-up:
Access, technology, or timing note without private student details:
Suggested restart point: _____________________________________________________________
Access, safety, privacy, and ad-safe boundaries
- Use one device per student, one per team, a projected teacher-run model, or the paper case. Assess the same decision and evidence target across routes.
- Rotate operator, recorder, analyst, and reporter roles. Device control, speed, or public speaking is not proof of understanding.
- Use fictional data and school-approved submission methods. Do not ask for email addresses, financial information, health information, precise location, or other unnecessary personal data.
- Do not click ads or ask students to interact with advertising. Ads, if displayed, are separate from lesson instructions and are never part of the assignment.
- Do not reward a result that ignores safety, law, worker welfare, accessibility, privacy, customer harm, or a stated guardrail.
- The simulations are simplified educational models, not legal, financial, employment, food-safety, health, or operational advice.
For additional planning, use the accessible classroom guide, the technology contingency guide and printable RESTORE recovery plan, printable team roles, and shared 16-point rubric.
Substitute teacher lesson FAQ
Can a substitute teacher run this business simulation lesson without prior business knowledge?
Yes. The lesson uses a short prediction, one baseline run, one changed run, and an evidence-based recommendation. The page includes definitions, a minute-by-minute route, teacher look-fors, and answer guidance.
Do students need accounts or personal information?
No. The linked xdage business simulators open without student accounts, and normal lesson use does not require names, email addresses, or personal business information.
What if student devices or internet access fail?
Use the no-device case on this page. Students compare two fictional coffee-shop result sets, calculate changes, identify a tradeoff, and write a justified next-test recommendation on paper.
How should a substitute teacher grade the lesson?
Check for a focused prediction, a fair one-variable comparison, accurate evidence with units, a stated tradeoff or limitation, and a controlled next step. Completion can be recorded without rewarding simulated profit alone.
Is the simulation result real business or financial advice?
No. The simulations are simplified educational models. Students should describe what happened in the model and avoid treating the output as a forecast, professional recommendation, or instruction to operate a real business.
Continue the lesson
For a subject-specific follow-up, browse the business simulation lesson plan directory. For simulator-specific records, open all 18 printable worksheets. For a longer investigation, use the classroom pack or three-session project.
Teachers can also use the debrief question bank, worked calculation examples, and complete teacher resource hub.