by Rebecca Simon, Byram Lakes
Teacher Introduction
The Young Consumers Program makes mathematics more meaningful to children. In the culminating activity, students use lessons taught in the classroom and apply them to a life situation, that is shopping in a real grocery store. Not only do children discover how size and pricing affect a consumer's purchases, they make decisions based on nutrition and portion size. They also learn how to use a calculator and develop map skills by finding their way using a store map. Critical thinking skills are enhanced as children visit several problem solving stations set up within the store. This hands-on experience will help meet the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards not only in mathematics but across other core curriculum content areas as well such as Language Arts Literacy and Health and Wellness.
Young Consumer Event Timeline
- September- Arrange dates and student numbers with ShopRite Coordinator and Manager for following spring. Scheduling bussing. Submit trip request to Transportation Administrator. One bus runs as a shuttle.
- 6 weeks before event- Run letters of request for parent helpers. Send letters of request to parents for chaperone volunteers. Approximately 50 needed for chaperones, 10 for problem solving stations, and 3 to oversee registers. Submit by mail all t-shirt sizes for children to Shop Rite coordinator.
- 5 weeks before event- Collect all parent letters of request. Update and review lessons to prepare for shopping trip. (Ex. new food pyramid, containers for equivalent measurement in math, new store map, etc.)
- 3 weeks before event- Run all scoring rubrics for scoring done at the store. Drive to store to redo aisle directory as store layout changes. Make a master schedule of 50 shopping groups, each assigned to a different parent, and a master bus schedule to the Shop Rite. Send out letters inviting parent volunteers to an evening meeting for shopping day instructions and question and answer session. Invite Shop Rite representatives to come to evening meeting.
- 2 weeks before event- Prepare speech for parent evening meeting. Arrange for room and chair set up for meeting. Gather and check all worksheets and parts for problem solving stations. Make additional copies as needed. Count out all problem solving tickets and place in envelopes.
- 1 week before event- Hold parent meeting at the school in the evening. All teachers involved attend. Give out and explain chaperone and problem solving assignments to parents as well as expectations and duties. Go over problem solving with parents in a separate room. Request card tables and battery calculators for store. Sort t-shirts by class and size. Have nametags made for all chaperones and students. Sort into proper envelopes. Run "Thank You" stationary (if not using email), Communication paper, and rubrics.
- Several days before event- Drive to Shop Rite to buy fruits and vegetables for identification lesson.
- Drive to Shop Rite the night before event to buy fruits and vegetables for problem solving on actual shopping day. Collect card tables and calculators as they come in from home.
- Event day- As event unfolds, collect envelopes with scoring rubrics and totals for students final score.
- Next day- Score all Final Rubrics. Return to students. Collect and mail children's "Thank You's" to Store Owner, Store Manager, and Shop Rite Coordinator (if not using email).