One Hen is an enrichment program based on the award-winning children’s book One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway. Students begin by learning the story of a young Ghanaian boy Kojo, who makes a big difference by buying one hen, which in turn lays eggs, and hatches more hens, until he eventually becomes the largest chicken farmer in all of Ghana.
One Hen provides educators with resources to teach financial literacy, personal initiative, global awareness, and the value of giving back. Through a series of interactive lesson plans, an award winning children’s book One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, and a website of games and activities, One Hen challenges students (grades K-12) to start their own small businesses. In the process, teams of young entrepreneurs become equipped with the necessary skills in business math, personal financial literacy, and social entrepreneurship.
Aligns with the Common Core
The curriculum helps meet many ELA & Math Common Core Standards. Click on each link to see how One Hen can help you to achieve your CCS objectives.
21st century skills, STEAM (Science and Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) and experiential learning are covered in the academic objectives of One Hen. The experiential approach helps meet the 21st century goals in the areas of innovation, life and career skills, including:
- Global Awareness – Students learn the similarities and differences between their lives and the life and culture in other countries. They learn about how small entrepreneurs there and around the world are overcoming daunting obstacles to work themselves out of poverty.
- Personal Initiative – Students are taught that they have the ability to make good choices, set goals and work hard to achieve them.
- Creative Thinking – Students learn to brainstorm, create products, and come up with creative ideas to market their products.
- Teamwork – Students learn how to work well in a team.
- Problem Solving – Students learn that every problem has a solution and practice strategies for effective problem solving as they start and run a small business.
One Hen also prepares youth to make calculated financial decisions before they enter high school, the consumer world, or the workplace. One Hen does this by providing educators with the educational tools to empower youth to make more calculated financial decisions. Program results to date have shown:
- Financial Literacy + Business Math
70% increase in understanding of how to calculate profit and determine interest rates. - Personal Financial Literacy
20% increase in the number of students who were able to distinguish between a financial want and need. - Global Citizenship & Importance of Giving Back
60% increase over pre-assessments in the students’ philanthropic commitment.
On average, classrooms donated over $350 to community needs.
Our Eight-Step Curriculum
One Hen students engage in an eight-step curriculum; sharing the experience of starting their own small business and giving back to their local and global communities.
Although One Hen is ideal for 4th through 8th grade students in traditional classroom, homeschool, and after-school settings, it can be easily customized to fit the specific needs of all students from kindergarten through high school. Â The experiential curriculum helps meet ELA, Social Sciences, and STEM standards while helping students develop 21st Century Skills.
The Story
It all begins with the book!
Social Entrepreneurship & Causes
Identify a charity in your community or beyond to fund with your profits. Start a business with other students.
Costs, Unit Pricing, Revenue & Profit
Calculate unit price, revenue and profit for your product.
Loans & Interest
Calculate the interest on the loan team will receive.
Purchasing Materials & Tracking Production
Practice transactional skills by purchasing materials.
Business Branding & Product Planning
Create a logo and slogan for your business. Identify customers.
Marketing to Customers
Create marketing materials.
Sell Day & Loan Repayment
