Elementary School Resource

School Store

In this activity, 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.

Related NY State Academic Standards: CDOS.E.1.1.B, CDOS.E.1.1.C, CDOS.E.1.1.E, and more!

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