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To Market, To Market

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Instructor: Jean Cunningham

Workshop: International Food

Targeted Grade Level(s): Third Grade

Content Area(s) Covered: Science

Anticipated Duration: One extended class period of approximately 90 minutes

Rationale: In group discussions, students demonstrated limited understanding of how perishable agricultural goods are transported to the marketplace for consumption.  This lesson was designed based upon the need for students to become aware of the processes by which food is made available to them.

Objectives: Students will demonstrate increased awareness of the process through which perishable agricultural goods are brought to market.

Sunshine State Standards:

• SC.H.1.2.3: The student knows that to work collaboratively, all team members should be free to reach, explain, and justify their own individual conclusions.
• SC.H.2.2.1: The student knows that natural events are often predictable and logical.
• SC.H.3.2.4: The student knows that, through the use of science processes and knowledge, people can solve problems, make decisions, and form new ideas.

Resources/Materials Needed:

1. Spilsbury, Louise. (2001).
   • Food: Apples (Heinemann First Library Series).
   • Food: Eggs
   • Food: Honey
   • Food: Milk
   • Food: Potatoes
2. balloons, enough for each small group to have 20
3. one large plastic trash bag
4. one large plastic bin or cardboard box
5. tickets, tokens, or play money
6. items to be bought at market (I used small items bought at the Dollar Tree)
7. signs for the Market and for each Farm

Procedures:

1. With the students in a large group on the carpet or at their seats, facilitate a discussion of foods in the grocery store and how they get there.
2. Read the Food books listed above, soliciting ideas for bringing the various foods to market.
3. Assign the students to groups of three, four, or five students, depending on class size.  I used playing cards to randomly create groups (all aces in one group, etc.).
4. Each group will go to a “Farm” in the classroom.
5. At the farm, the group members will grow “crops” by blowing up as many balloons as they can in a designated time.  The amount of time may depend on the number of students in each group.  Give each group 20 balloons to begin with.  At the end of the allotted time, have the students stop blowing up balloons and sit among their crops.
6. Pose the problem:  How will the students get their crops to market?  Do not ask for suggestions or ideas at this time.  Give one group the big bag, one group the big box, and the other group/s nothing.
7. When you give the signal, the students will have one minute to bring their crops to the designated “Market”.
8. At the market, purchase the crops from the students, using the tickets, tokens, or play money.  Then the students may buy the items for sale in the market.
9. Facilitate a group discussion about the challenges of transporting crops to market.  What happened to crops that were left behind when time ran out?  What different experiences did groups have depending on the resources available to them

Informal/Formal Assessments:
Assessment for this lesson was informal, based on teacher observation and students participation in the discussion that took place after the activity.

Evaluation/Reflection:

This lesson went really well.  The students were fully engaged throughout all activities and were able to offer insightful comments during the final discussion.  When I use this lesson in the future I will develop a writing component to extend the students’ understanding.  I would also like make more real-life connections using visuals, posters, realia, videos, and other print material.