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CNN Presents Classroom: CNN 25: Top 25 Business Leaders
RELATEDSPECIAL REPORTCNN STUDENT NEWS(CNN Student News) -- Set your VCR to record the CNN Special Classroom Edition: CNN 25: Top 25 Business Leaders when it airs commercial-free on Monday, December 12, 2005, from 4:00-- 5:00 a.m. ET on CNN. Program OverviewAs CNN celebrates its 25th year as the world's news leader, CNN 25 looks at the prominent events, thinkers, and issues that have defined the news in the last quarter-century. From leaders in health and medicine to pioneers in technology, bright personalities from sports to entertainment, CNN 25 looks at the most influential moments and personalities of our time. Tune in as CNN's Susan Lisovicz hosts a countdown of the top 25 most influential business leaders from the last 25 years. Grade Levels: 7-12 Subject Areas: Business, History, Economics, Current Events, Technology ObjectivesThe CNN Special Classroom Edition: CNN 25: Top 25 Business Leaders and its corresponding discussion questions and activities challenge students to: Curriculum ConnectionsThe Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Standard VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Standard VIII. Science, Technology and Society: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of relationships among science, technology, and society. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Economics Standard 14 : Profit and the Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs are people who take the risks of organizing productive resources to make goods and services. Profit is an important incentive that leads entrepreneurs to accept the risks of business failure. Standard 16 : Role of Government There is an economic role for government in a market economy whenever the benefits of a government policy outweigh its costs. Governments often provide for national defense, address environmental concerns, define and protect property rights, and attempt to make markets more competitive. Most government policies also redistribute income. The Economics America National Standards Discussion Questions1. Who are some of the individuals who made the list of CNN's top business leaders? Which of these individuals were you expecting to see there? Were there any surprises? Were there any you expected to see on the list who didn't make it? Explain. 2. Cite the accomplishments of some of the business leaders seen in the video. Which accomplishments struck you as especially significant? Why? 3. Has notoriety earned any of these individuals their place in business history? Explain. How did their actions affect their companies and investors? What lessons do you think can be learned from their stories? 4. Generally speaking, how would you describe the role of the federal government in the U.S. economy? How was the government a key player in some of the stories in the video? What role does the government play in addressing copyrights, monopolies, and stock trading? Why do you think the federal government has a regulatory role in what is described as a "free market" economy? Do you think the U.S. economy is truly a free market? Why or why not? 5. Several of the individuals who made the list can be classified as "entrepreneurs." What is an entrepreneur? What risks does an entrepreneur take in establishing his or her own business? What might be some of the rewards of entrepreneurship? 6. Who is number one on the list of CNN's Top 25 Business Leaders of the past 25 years? How did Bill Gates make his fortune? What is the name of the company he founded? How has Microsoft revolutionized technology and the personal computer business? What charge has the U.S. government made against Microsoft? How does Gates respond to that charge? What is philanthropy? In what kind of philanthropy are Bill and Melinda Gates involved? Suggested Activities1. The Entrepreneur's "Right Stuff" Remind students that several individuals who made the CNN Top 25 list are entrepreneurs. What character traits are common among entrepreneurs? Locate a few entrepreneurs in your area and ask them to address the class on the benefits and downsides of starting your own business. Have each entrepreneur explain what personality traits, experience and training are necessary for success in business and what traits and skills have most prepared him or her for survival in the business world. Poll your students to see if any think they have the "right stuff" to strike out on their own in the future. 2. Capitalism as Fertile Ground for Entrepreneurialism How does the economic system in the U.S. create a climate conducive to entrepreneurship? Generate a class discussion about capitalism and the characteristics of a capitalist economic system. Have students work in groups to research capitalism and compare its major principles (i.e., private ownership of property, competition, profitability) to those of other economic systems. After groups share their findings, ask: What conditions promote the entrepreneurial spirit in the U.S.? Is the entrepreneurial spirit a positive or negative thing for the economy and for the U.S. as a nation? Cite examples to support your rationale. What, if anything, should the U.S. government do to encourage the creation of more small businesses? Discuss. Extension: Discuss the concept of "economic Darwinism," that is, survival of the fittest in the business world. Why does an entrepreneur have to be willing to take on risks? What can happen to an entrepreneur whose business fails? Is this a negative aspect of capitalism or an economic fact of life in a capitalist system? In your opinion, should the government "rescue" a failing business in a capitalist economy? Why or why not? 3. Personal Styles of Business Leaders Write the following terms in columns on the board: entrepreneur, manager, communicator, pioneer, opportunist, innovator. Generate a class discussion to create definitions for each of these business terms. Divide the class into small groups. Then, challenge each group to review the CNN Top 25 list and classify each of the business leaders into one or more of these categories. Have groups share their lists and labels with the class. Discuss any differences of opinion on who belongs in what category. Then, ask: Which of the business leaders were assigned to more than one category? What does this tell us about the different skills of effective leaders in the field of business? Would you have added any other categories to describe these business leaders? If so, what would they be? Challenge each student to assess his or her own business skills and put himself or herself into one or more of the categories listed on the board. Ask: Of the business leaders listed in that category, is there one you'd like to work for? Who is it, and why? KeywordsCEO, entrepreneur, management, scandal, investor, revenue, shareholder, dot-com downfall, logistics, net income, browser war, cable television, media empire, electronic banking, junk bonds, corporate raid, fraud, microprocessor, inventory, commodity, vision, bankruptcy, bureaucracy, retail, anti-trust laws, monopoly, philanthropy 
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