Second graders find creative solutions to business problems

Corrected 03-27-2013 10:42p Teacher's name is O'Connell

Highland Terrace second graders in Jeanine O'Connell's class learn about the community outside of their home and school. The idea is developed as a story with characters, a setting, and a problem to solve.

The children distinguish between businesses that provide services and those that provide goods.  

“I partnered the children and they selected which business they wanted to create," says O'Connell.  

Together they created a diorama of the store by making things and bringing things from home.  Then the children make a doll that represents them as workers.  All are placed on a bulletin board that is made to look like a street.

“I stapled those onto the street and the children add details like trees, cars, mailboxes, etc.  One day they come in and I have placed brown paper to look like dug up dirt, caution signs, road work signs, etc..  The children discover that it is difficult for anyone to go to their businesses. “

They must come up with a solution to the problem.  The children decide that advertising and offering special deals will help lure people into their businesses.  So they make billboards.  They decide on a logo and a jingle.  To cap off the project, the children use small pieces of paper to draw and write what they are selling and put price tags on them.  They are given money.  Then they go shopping.  One partner sells and the other shops.  Then they switch.  The children are highly engaged in the whole process.  

“Their imaginative creations and logical reasoning are a joy to watch.”

Listen to the 2nd grader business jingles with photos of their business dioramas