Activity
School Store
Course, Subject
Home & Careers, Career Development and Occupational Studies
Grade Levels
Elementary, 4th Grade
Assessment
- Databases showing monthly profit margins are maintained.
- Inventory control (weekly, monthly, annually) is maintained.
Author
Tricia Dosiek, Peru Northside Elementary School, Peru Central School District.
Duration
setup/practice – 1 week, then annually
Essential Questions
- Why do I need to learn?
- How does my current learning prepare me for life experiences?
Description
Objective: Students will gain life experiences in the world of work within a school-business setting.
- The school store is housed in a 4th-grade classroom. It contains school supplies, which are sold to the students. Inventory and prices are preset by the teacher. Students hold various jobs at the store.
- Week 1: The project is explained to the students. Jobs and skills are identified, defined, and practiced—purchasing through catalogs, selling to customers (role-play), inventory evaluation (setting a maximum volume and evaluating needs), money management (e.g., making change), receipt writing (role-play), and scheduling workers.
- Weeks 2-40: Under teacher mentoring, students run the school store the first 15 minutes of each day.
- Daily: Students record inventory and money received.
- Weekly: Students evaluate the need to order products.
- Monthly: Students “deposit” money in school safe.
- End of Year: Students project needs for next year and order inventory.
Materials / Resources
- School supply catalog
- School store cupboard
- Receipts
- Cash box
- Start-up money
Comments / Modifications
The store can be operated under the direction of a parent volunteer, teacher, or teaching assistant.
Source
Dosiek, Tricia. “School Store.” In Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Resource Guide with Core Curriculum. New York State Department of Education, 25.
