Four classes of grade 5 students, 54 students in total, will exhibit their student-created businesses at the Main Street Math Live Marketplace, a virtual Main Street created outside on the paved pathways of Old Saybrook Middle School. Students began the year by learning about different types of businesses, including those that provide services and those that sell goods. They used their voice and choice to decide what type of business they would create. Each student created a business plan that included a price list, hours of operation, number of employees, and an overview of competitors.
Local businesses partnered with the school throughout the year to help students learn what it takes to create and run a business. First, all fifth graders visited businesses on Main Street in Old Saybrook to learn how math is used in different business settings and how businesses operate. Next, business owners presented to classes about marketing. Finally, they shared how they work to be environmentally friendly and why those efforts matter.
Throughout the year in math, students demonstrated mastery of curriculum standards by writing story problems at the conclusion of each unit, connecting their work directly to their business and price list when applicable. Two story problems were selected for display on each student’s 4-foot-by-3-foot tri-fold store, along with a custom-designed store sign, price list, hours of operation sign, digital sales graph, and personally designed storefront. In science, students developed eco-friendly ideas for their businesses to implement, which will also be included in their displays. In language arts, students wrote an elevator pitch for their business. The project also incorporates 21st century skills, including initiative and entrepreneurship, curiosity and imagination, and effective oral and written communication.